Raikkonen signed a two-year deal with Sauber that transformed into Alfa Romeo in 2019 after learning that he would lose his Ferrari seat after the end of the 2018 season.
The 2007 world champion is eighth in the championship with eight points in twelve Grand Prix and scored 31 out of 32 Alfa points in 2019.
Vasseur told Motorsport.com: “The advantage of Kimi is that before he signed last year we spent hours discussing the team, the positive and negative points, where we can improve, where we need to improve.
“We were very open about the company’s actual situation. And I think he’s not surprised now when we have problems because we knew that beforehand.
“He is fully committed to the project. I don’t know how he was at Ferrari last year, I wasn’t there, but it works perfectly for us. “
Raikkonen made his F1 debut at Sauber in 2001 and this year has spoken about the impact of driving for a team where he is happy, closer to his home in Switzerland and free from the politics of a leading manufacturer .
Vasseur said he could not predict what results Raikkonen would enjoy with the team, but said of his fitting in: “He met my expectations”.
“The most important thing for me was to make sure he was committed,” said Vasseur. “Committed means that he will be present in the factory, he will push the boys, he will be demanding.
“He’s demanding and I don’t want him to relax, that’s absolutely not the case. I want someone on the team who is pushing for results. This is also a good situation and important for the engineers.
“But he already understands that he’s not with Ferrari or Mercedes and that not everything can be repaired in two weeks.”
Raikkonen raised his eyebrows at the beginning of the year when he described Formula 1 as “more of a hobby” since he switched to Alfa.
That was an indication of the joy he’s getting back into racing and Vasseur said it played a role in how well Raikkonen drives.
“You have to do the job on Saturday and Sunday and be convinced that everyone is pushing in the right direction,” said Vasseur. “The psychological side is very important.
“For me he likes the atmosphere. We hold discussions, it’s straightforward, in black and white, to be honest, it’s very easy to handle with us.
“I am more than satisfied with the current situation. He does a fantastic job in the car, he comes to the plant every week, he is fully committed. Could not be better.”
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