http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/091118185526.shtml Having disagreed with the McLaren team's offer, Kimi Raikkonen will be absent from Formula One next year while he takes a sabbatical from the series before attempting a return in 2011. In the meantime, the Finn will concentrate on his other serious motorsport interest racing in the World Rally Championship. "He's one of those guys who moves on quickly," his manager David Robertson told the BBC. "He just said 'Now we concentrate on rallying'." Raikkonen made his WRC debut last summer when he took on his home event, Rally Finland, at the wheel of an Abarth Grande Punto S2000. His times on the fast-paced gravel tests were good and allowed him to hold 15th position overall; however he slid into a ditch and damaged his car on Day Two of the event, forcing him to retire. The former Ferrari driver will now have a full year ahead of him to gain additional experience on World Rally Championship rounds. "He is now looking to find a drive in the WRC, although nothing has yet been sorted out," Robertson confirmed. 2007 champion Raikkonen believed that a deal with McLaren was his best opportunity in fighting for a second F1 title; the team opted for current World Champion Jenson Button instead. "Kimi wanted a winning car, only McLaren could supply that and he only had them in his sights," Robertson explained. "It wasn't in his interests to race for what they were offering so he's going to go rallying instead." "If they hadn't gone for Jenson, they'd have gone for someone else," he added.
I can't wait! when does their season start? Maybe this will tie me over until F1 starts back up. Also interesting that a driver of his caliber felt the only car that could give him a championship was McLaren....
So Kimi's moving up? I'd be nice if he can make the transition. Maybe then Lewis might be able to follow suit. (Seeing the way Lewis tosses a car over the kerbs, I've always thought he'd be happier in a rally car than an F1 machine.) (But when your dad is your manager, and there's all that F1 money involved, what suits the driver personally might not be the prime issue.)
Ermm so what your saying is there is hope for Button, tank full of race distance fuel, smooth v rally style.
Good point about driving styles. Both Lewis and Alonso had reputations for being hard on their tires. That could translate to more fuel use and more fuel slosh when the tanks are low. The old Ted Smith Aerostar had troubles with fuel sloshing around and un-porting the fuel pick-ups, causing engine stalls on approach. The solution on the Piper Aerostar was to have the wing tanks feed to a fuselage tank which fed the engines. But remember what happened to BAR when they put a distribution tank in their F1 car? (After Button and Sato finished 3rd and 5th in Imola --- in a year where FIA was trying to woo Renault back into WRC, after PSA announced taking the other French cars out of WRC.) So a technical solution might be subject to an FIA "lightining bolt". (Weird how innovation has become a crap-shoot in the "pinnacle of motorsports".) That does leave us wondering which drivers' styles will get better gas mileage. And if more tire rule silliness will make it moot, anyway. (One stint on retreads, recycled from old birkenstocks? ) Unless Todt becomes more than Max's mouthpiece, it could be that Kimi won't be missing much in F1 in 2010. (But then, there's not much left of WRC, either.)
Tanks.. Yes I remember the BAR reserve tank or something like that, interesting stuff about the fuel slosh. Tyre wear Button should be good as well. IIRC Lewis likes a pointy car Button the opposite. AFAIK Mosley has F'd-up the WRC as well. If I was Kimi I'd sit back enjoy the icecream Finlandia vodka and follow the sun.
According to an unofficial source Kimi has signed with Red-Bull to drive for Citroen with an F1 option for 2011.
It'll be interesting to see how he does at the rallying? If he is winning it'll show he still has a competitive drive is he's lackluster then he's just going through the motions. Any prospective F1 team will be paying attention to his performance and results.
He ran Finland this season in a Punto and crashed out while decently placed in his class. It will be interesting.
Initial rumors had his salary as twice that of Loeb. He'll be racing for Red Bull so I doubt Ferrari will be involved. In Finland he did wear Ferrari gear but that was in a Punto.
The chances of Kimi winning even one WRC rally in his 1st season are very very slim. Rally is a totally different game to F1, natural ability will get you far, but it takes years of development to get up to speed. This is evident when you consider that the majority top rally drivers become fully competitive when there in there 30s. Many can be fast over a stage or two, but its extremely hard to be fast for the full 3 days of a rally over 20 or more stages, let alone a whole season on a host of different surfaces.
I was just jokingly wondering if he could use his Ferrari buyout to budget his own team, seeing how it doesn't look like he has anything lined up. I'm sure Rallying is still big bucks, I'm just not familiar enough to know how much.
Today's report is that the Red Bull/Citroen deal is done and not only will Kimi be paid but can keep his buy-out booty.
Depends on how many times you roll or endo a season. Looks like I'll be competing at Rally Mexico which is back on WRC calander for 2010.
Citroen deny Raikkonen rumours Monday 30th November 2009 - PlanetF1.com Kimi Raikkonen has not signed a deal nor has he even spoken with Citroen, according to team principal Olivier Quesnel. This past weekend, reports emerged claiming that Raikkonen would definitely bid farewell to Formula One in favour of a switch to the World Rally Championship with Citroen. According to the official WRC website, 'nothing is signed yet, but a source close to the 2007 F1 World Champion told wrc.com that only small details needed to be tied-up before an official announcement is made in the coming days.' However, Quesnel has not only dismissed reports of a deal, he's also denied that the team has even spoken with Raikkonen. "Nothing is signed, I never even had Raikkonen on the telephone," Quesnel told French newspaper L'Equipe. "In any case, (if Raikkonen did sign for Citroen) it would not be in the official team, but in the Citroen Junior Team. There is a lot of noise about this." But just because Raikkonen isn't doing a deal with Citroen that doesn't mean Quesnel wouldn't mind seeing the 2007 F1 Champ swap to rallying. "He was not a World Champion by chance," he said. "In Finland last year, he was quite astonishing at the wheel of a Super 2000 car. "If he comes to WRC, it will be very good news for the rally in general. It would also be nice to thumb the nose to F1."
Looks like he will actually be doing absolutely nothing, or maybe if he REALLY does want a job in F1 like he says he does, sign for Mercedes.
Just saw this on Autosport. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80423 Looks like he will be with the JR Citroen team w/ Ogier.
