But from the results of initial tests in Jerez last week, at least Raikkonen could break that notion.
The Finnish rider to be the fastest on the first day of the test and it showed Raikkonen had not lost his touch as a former F1 world champion.
Lotus now also be confident to welcome the new season with a 32 year-old man.
"For most people this might be the single greatest mystery, because you only hear the words of people, but we feel fine with him and he feels like at home," said the boss of the Lotus, Gerard Lopez.
"He smiles a lot when with us. But the most important thing is that he feels more like a part of this family," he continued.
If you look at what happens during the test, people can not say that he lost his touch, "he concluded.
