Exclusive Kimi Raikkonen Q&A - I want to win another title

This time next year the world will have moved on and Kimi will still be negotiating for a "perfect" deal.

No one wants a slacker who expects the fruit of everyone else's labor but wont put in his share . And HE's the one who has the most to gain.

 

What do you call a 'competitive car' and how do you know a car is going to be competitive?

Kimi sounds disingenuous to me. What he is looking for is probably a strong team giving him a generous contract in the hope that it will also provide a good car.
But there is no certainty in this!

Hamilton found the McLaren a bit of a pig earlier in the season, and sometimes that's what happens, even in a leading team.

By staying away from F1 for one year in 2010, and not being an insider within a team, how will he ever know which car will be competitive in 2011?

Kimi is a good driver, but just not focussed enough. I question his motivation now.
A 'real' racer would go to any length to have a drive, and not play 'pick and choose' like he does.

 

pick and choose is a luxury he has. i wish i was that unmotivated, i wish i was not a 'real' racer such as he, i wish i was an unrealistic 'slacker'..one who has a wacked assessment of his market value... wont find any resentment from me.

 

speak for yourself. apparently there were several teams who still wanted that slacker--the most unmotivated driver out there--the one who only wants to show up and drive. HE has the most to gain? he already has a buttloada money, an ice cream eating-vodka schwigging-couldn't give a rats @ss lifestyle...and if that 'perfect' deal never comes along, if he never drives again? he's obviously going to be ok sitting around being an incoherent bum. lots of resentment, lots of attitude 'disapproval' from people is part of the gig, and it's certain that he would say.."i don't care"... "i'm having a ****"...

 

It's hard to understand why he did not compromise. Alonso went back to a crappy Renault, had a poor season and now is at Ferrari.

What will change for Kimi in 2011? I don't think money was the issue but who knows.

 

How funny; you tell me to speak for myself when I address Kimi's comments yet you reference and ridicule mine. Back in the old days we used to call that being a Hypocrite.

So lets get past your double standards and look at Kimi's own words;

KR: Yes. I felt McLaren offered the best opportunity to win races and challenge for the drivers’ championship and if that would not work the one-year break is the result. And to be honest, I will only return in 2011 if a competitive drive is available.

KR: I achieved my dream of winning the drivers’ world championship. I would like to win another championship, but I can only do that if I have a competitive car. It’s that simple


So In Kimi's word's Mclaren offered the best opportunity. And he is only in it to win, not for the money. Correct ? But there were certain "issues". Issues obviously so huge as for him to turn down the ride. It has been reported, and he through his agent, has said he does not wish to do the PR work. You know; let the sponsors get their bang for their (CONSIDERABLE) buck. Obviously they can look past his TV persona just for an appearance. A warm body to tout to those VIP's and Execs who write the checks. Apparently beneath Kimi's standards.

KR: I feel a good driver can make a bigger difference nowadays. If you look at how close the whole grid was this year, if a driver can lap two-tenths faster that is worth many positions on the grid. That could easily be the difference between winning and losing.

Two tenths. So Kimi was consistently .2 over Massa all season. Right ? Compare salaries. Compare duties, effort, and support of the team. Then add Kimi's own words; Compare times.


I can only do that if I have a competitive car. It’s that simple
My management held many meetings with McLaren. Unfortunately, certain issues could not be resolved. We knew in the last three or four days that it would be highly unlikely a deal could be reached. Now we know it is definite

Yeah, Simply YOU turned down the best ride in YOUR words.

Because of money or responsibility. To me that means spoiled slacker

KR:I can only do that if I have a competitive car. It’s that simple
KR:I can only do that if I have a competitive car. It’s that simple
KR:I can only do that if I have a competitive car. It’s that simple

It's the car, stupid.



Here's a tip Scud980; Judge him by his actions because you cant think past his words.

 

Keep on dreaming, Kimi. If he really wanted a competitive car, what about Brawn/Mercedes GP? Kimi is just greedy, IMO. He just wants to earn a massive pay check, while blaming the car for everything.

With all the new guns coming in F1 so thick and fast, who would want to hire Kimi in 2011 for such a high price? Have a good retirement mate.

 

Everyone has a right to thier own opinion and it shoudl be respected, whether another disagrees or finds it unfounded. With that, let me put this out there to ponder, if Kimi was all about money and not a competitive car, whatever one makes that out to be, does anyone think that Kimi would have taken a seat at Honda, Renault or any other non-competitive team for big bucks? My opinion, NO. Kimi wants both a competitive car and compensation, not just compensation.

 

Apparently not, since he is unemployed as an F1 driver for 2010.

 

that, and to be exempt from doing PR. And to be able to do anything else he wants, even if it's not in the teams best interests (like bailing from the track within the hour if he crashes, and not sticking around to support the team).


There are lots of prima donnas out there in the world... in music, in movies, etc. But you gotta be able to perform. If you are a top performer, people will put up with the BS. If you get beaten by Massa, people won't put up with it, and you find yourself out of a job.

 

his responses were longer than I expected from the iceman

 

+100! Picking and choosing is a luxury he has always had.

How many people in the world do you know (besides lottery winners) have someone tell them "we appreciate you so much that we are going to pay you millions to do whatever you want in life". Are you freakin kidding me??? Kimi is a genius! He has never compromised on what he wants and he has always received what he wanted including now. I will miss him in F1 but realize he is leaving on his own terms, as one of the top drivers in the world, as a WDC, as one of the richest drivers in the world, still making millions and will return if he wants to...if he doesn't, he won't. What a life!

So IIRC...Massa makes 8 mil and has to do anything that Ferrari asks at any time for any reason no matter what the circumstances...

Kimi makes 15mil to live stress free and do anything his heart desires...

I wonder who's got the better deal?

 

....anything but race an F1 car.
Kimi is bound and shackled by his own expectations. "If X makes $$$ I am surely worth $$$$".

Massa is racing and driving for Ferrari. I would say that has certain advantages.

 

Because he chose not to. IMO, its obvious money is not the main motivator for kimi.

Yes, most likely if your the #1. In Massa's case though...not so much.

 

Wrong. His job is NOT driving. And he gets compensated rather handsomely for that. Better than the rest, IIRC.

 

Compensation does not seem to be one of them.

 

YES he does! he chose to not drive for Toyota (obviously)...he chose to not drive for Mcl because he has to put up with all the BS for the amount of money they offered...he chose to collect the Ferrari money by sitting on his azz...out of all the other options...so how is that not a LUXURY??? he is a lucky bastard!

i don't undertand all the resentment from some here...if anything, be p1ssed at the TEAMS that wanted to hire him...if he was so 'worthless', 'unappreciative' than why even consider him at all???

 

PUHLEEEASE!!! You are obviously a resentful chap! i say speak for yourself because you speak as is if your last word is the final word. you keep pointing out how worthless he is..that you would never hire a bum like him (when you're a top F1 team principle, get back to us)...i say speak for yourself because SOMEONE in F1 wanted that slacker, contrary to 'no one' according to you...blah blah blah...some here are too quiet and too polite to reply to your schtuff. you are obviously a judgemental bugger...he is a spoiled slacker because he doesn't 'operate' like you? heeheee, i can't think past his words?? heehee, i could see waaaay past yours....you seem to have a hard time accepting the fact that people like Kimi have different perspectives...different values...and you think your outlook is the only right way...you would never hire a guy that wants 'everything to be perfect at the workplace'...you're not in the market for him, so who cares? say it just to validate your position that's he's a bum?...why not rip into the teams for even negotiating with him, for wanting him at all? aren't they the 'enablers' in his spoiled stupidity? so, i ask again, what's with all the resentment? why so isistant? i say he's lucky as hell to be able to 'pick and choose' according to what he thinks is best for him, not going to judge him, rip him, as a washed up loser for thinking the way he does...if he's 'bound and shackled by his own expectations'...so what? it's his life. some here like to resent instead...

 

In F1, you have to take the rough with the smooth.
Some year you may have a competitive car, the next not that's part and parcel of this business.

But for Kimi to get a competitive car, the best way is to stay in the game, work with a leading team into the design and the development of a winning car for the following year, not stay sulking on the sidelines!

How does anyone know which car will be competitive in 2011?

Who would have predicted that a Honda-designed Brawn would win so many GPs in 2009, and that the McLaren would qualify at the back of the grid so often early in the season?

I am very disappointed by Kimi. Another wasted talent ...

 

Wrong.

Kimi wanted to drive in 2010. He wasn't paid for the reason that he sit out - rather he was ditched by Ferrari because someone better came along. He got paid whether he raced or not, but he wanted to race.

Unfortunately for him, nobody else agreed on his opinion of his value, therefore all his rhetoric about wanting to drive and having the fire and need to win is just that. He can continue to tell himself he's worth $30mm a year (or whatever) as he watches the 2010 F1 season on TV.

 

He "chose" not to drive for McLaren equally as much as they "chose" not to have him drive for them.

LightGuy hit the nail on the head. Kimi says he wants to drive, and still has the desire to win, but wants to drive a fast car, and that's what matters.

Well, he's clearly not being honest, since he was given the opportunity to drive a fast car that can win. He refused to do so unless they also paid him more $$$ and freed him from sponsor obligations. Unfortunately, Kimi's opinion of his worth and talent is substantially higher than everyone else, because he has been ditched from F1 for 2010. He can watch at home and look at his trophy case and keep telling himself he's the greatest. The greatest unemployed F1 driver alive! Except for Schumi, and several others, of course

 

You don't know what Kimi wants. You only know what Kimi wants you to know. I think you just need to accept the harsh reality that Kimi will make more in one year of inactivity than you will make in your lifetime and drop the subject. Your bitter rhetoric says it all.

 

Ferrari have bought him out of his contract, therefore the contract no longer exists, therefore he no longer has a job, his employment has been terminated by mutual consent.

So your statement is incorrect. If as you imply, Ferrari were paying Kimi not to race, he would still be under contract and not available to drive without Ferrari's permission.

But that has not happened, Kimi is now unemployed!.

 

I didn't know that Kimi was the new Chuck Norris.

We have all realized by now that Kimi is your hero, but don't you think you're going too far with pointless personal accusations towars Mike?