There's still a chance that there maybe a spot for Kimi at McLaren! Don't go away Kimi. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80188
+1 Anyhow, what a shame. Just really shows he's kinda lazy and not hungry to win or race anymore. Seriously, i'm disappointed. Kimi should have retired with as a triple WDC at least. He has the talent and speed to do it.
From what I have read my understanding is that if Kimi doesn't drive in F1 in 2010 Ferrari pay him £17M. If he does drive in F1 then Ferrari only have to pay him £10M. McLaren are willing to pay him £6M, which means he could earn more by not driving. I'm not sure that it's 100% about money though. I also think he doesn't want to do the sponsor stuff for McLaren. The Red Bull rumour is that he'll do rallying in 2010 and return to F1 in 2011. I'm glad he's no longer in a Ferrari as I can now cheer for both Ferrari drivers, but I hope he comes back to F1.
he seems just burnt out, had he actually wanted a deal, he would have gotten one. If the sport no longer is fun for him, then i think it would be more disappointing for him and us if he were to just keep pushing on.
You are worth what ever you can "BS" your way in the door...I truly think with the political state of F1 in transition, this is a good time to take a break. Kimi will be racing some sort of car next year, which will give him even more experience with car control...saying all of that, I will miss him. When he is driving well, NO ONE can touch him. Doesn't he own a GP2 team or something on that level? Maybe this frees up time to concentrate efforts there.
Why a mistake and why at the wrong time? He left Mclaren to race for the most famous team of all time, to become a WDC, and to make at least twice the money doing it! I would say it worked out. Kimi obviously loves racing but never loved the "circus" that is F1. He never indicated that he wanted to stay in it for a long time and be a multiple champ. He got married in 2004, won his WDC at Ferrari, and is now really wealthly. I understand then that he wants to do it only on his own terms. I also think he "gets it" that the conditions in F1 are not in line with that.
I'll be very surprised if Raikkonen returns to F1. The sport forgets very quickly--drivers need to maintain relevance and fitness to remain on the teams short lists year in and year out. Kimi doesn't strike me as having that burning passion in him to keep his foot wedged in the door no matter the cost. I won't cry for him--he'll live a pretty good life by any standards.
+2 He worked best with them. I'm convinced he'd have had his one or even 2 world titles had he stayed with them. I'll miss him, but as has been mentioned he priced himself out of the driver market. I think we've seen the last of him in F1. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think he'll be back. Sad day.
Hakkinen could tell Kimi (as a fellow Finn no less) all about losing your motivation, going through the motions, taking a sabbatical... he never did get back in the door even as a 2 time WDC. As you said F1 forgets very quickly and moves onto the next shiny new thing... A lot like Hollywood in that regard except that in F1 you have to almost constantly train to be at F1 levels. Any time off and those skills deteriorate very quickly and make a comeback difficult if not impossible (as happened when Mika and JV tried to make comebacks...). The only real notable exceptions to come to mind were the comebacks of Lauda (2 yrs off) and Prost (1 yr off). It should be noted that both comebacks were before F1 drivers were required to attain extremely high levels of fitness to be competitive in the modern style (stints- where you practically sprint full speed in between pit stops) as opposed to the 80s style that rewarded a more patient approach where the ability to conserve your tires and turbo engines and fuel management trumped raw speed... If Kimi steps off the F1 merry-go-round for an extended period of time that may be it. Ashame really as he did have the talent to be a multiple WDC. He showed a lot of heart to hang in there, come back and snatch his 1 WDC title at the end in 2007. Whether he lost motivation or not the past 2 years, the important thing is the PERCEPTION that he lost his motivation. Unfortunately for Kimi to most observers perception=reality.
Da. Russia makes good Vodka. Maybe a place for Kimi afterall... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . They can pay him in Vodka (and ice cream).
I will miss Kimi, IMO he's out of F1 for good his manager has been quoted in saying that he hsa not rulled out driving in F1 in 2011. Honestly though i don't see who would want him anymore, i mean Ferrari is obviously a no no, unless of course Alonso sticks with what he has said and will retire when he wins his next championship in which there is a high probability it will be next season, Mclaren have just signed Button so thats a no, Mercedes will get Heidfeld and already have Rosberg, Redbull drivers signed extended contracts. So he's basically stuffed if he still wants a drive in 2011. Goodbye Kimi.
Same feeling here. Come back hardly work. Lauda and Prost being the exceptions of course. It didn't work for Jones or Mansell. Ironically, I think that Kimi was WDC the year he deserved it least, and missed being crowned at McLaren when he had been outstanding all season, bar reliability problems.
Any link on that? I am really intrigued. Renault, the car company, is strapped for cash right now, and has postponed a new range of models for LADA (25% owned by them), so the thought that Russian capital could come their way is interesting to say the least. Of course, Sverbank was part of the group on investors in the failed purchase of GM Europe, so I presume that there is some Russian capital trying to find the right venture to invest. Someone has also toyed with the idea of the Renault F1 being re-badged NISSAN F1- the sister compamy shared the same CEO. As long as Renault F1 will be based at Enstone in England (ex-Benetton premises), it will never be considered a part of the Renault structure for most of the top management. The natural place for a 'proper' Renault team is Viry-Chatillon, South of Paris.
Here's a scenario, admittedly unlikely but interesting nonetheless. Kimi goes to World Rally and within a short time wins the title, then retires. Where would he rank among top drivers in that event? Pretty high methinks......those guys in World Rally got bigger balls than any modern F1 driver I have seen......and to pull off a double championship at the highest levels of motorsport in two radically different areas would be unprecedented. Just a thought.
Kimi Raikkonen signs to Mercedes Agreement comes after Jenson Button leaving for McLaren Mercedes has came to agreement with finish Kimi Raikkonen for the 2010 Formula 1 season. The announcement was done by journalist Lito Cavalcanti, of SportTV, in this wednesday. The agreement was closed in the same day Jenson Button confirmed that he would not be staying at the German manufacturer's team, which has bought Brawn GP and changed the team name. The new driver's world champion was officially announced as McLaren driver for 2010 also this wednesday. The signing of Raikkonen, world F1 champion in 2007, brings an end to rumours that the finish would not drive in the most important category of motorsports in 2010. This wednesday, his manager said to british paper "The Independent" that Raikkonen, frustrated for not coming to terms with the McLaren, would take a vacation from Formula 1. The finn, this way, will go back to driving a car propelled by the German manufacturer's engines. During his McLaren period, from 2002 to 2006, the british team used Mercedes engines. http://globoesporte.globo.com/Esportes/Noticias/Formula_1/0,,MUL1384006-15011,00-KIMI+RAIKKONEN+ACERTA+COM+A+MERCEDES.html Err seems a bit strange to me...
