August 25, 2005 Hamburg, Germany Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen has signed a pre-contract to replace World champion Michael Schumacher on the Ferrari Formula 1 team for the 2007 season. The rumour has been rumbling for some time but Germany's Bild daily has published the scoop and quoted "impeccable sources", adding that Schumacher could swop cockpits with Raikkonen as he is reportedly in talks with the Finn's current outfit, McLaren-Mercedes. Bild's report said: "The first talks about a move of Raikkonen to Ferrari were held last year. Negotiations on the pre-contract were in February in March Schumacher driving for Mercedes - is it a German dream coming true? . The final agreement on this contract came in May." Raikkonen, 25, was runner-up to Schumacher in 2003 and is currently fighting with Spaniard Fernando Alonso for the 2005 title. He is rated one of the world's best drivers. Schumacher is the most successful F1 driver in history with seven World titles five of them for Ferrari. He is down in third place this season and out of title contention as Ferrari's dominance waned. The German's contract with Ferrari, for whom he has raced since 1996, has until the end of the 2006 season to run. Bild said earlier this week that Schumacher had met Mercedes' motorsport chief Norbert Haug twice recently about what many in Germany see as a dream partnership a German driving a Mercedes in Formula 1. The daily also said Ferrari was probably unwilling to raise Schumacher's salary of 35-million (about R280-million) a year, as apparently demanded by his manager, Willi Weber. "I must ask for more money when I start contract negotiations. That's normal," Germany's Sport-Bild quoted weekly quoted Weber as saying, with the manager allegedly asking for 40-million. - Sapa-DPA
But... from crash.net: Michael Schumacher has repeated the line that he is not considering leaving Ferrari, despite having apparently met with Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug on more than occasion in recent weeks. The two Germans have not denied the meetings, but insist that they talked about little more than the state of Formula One in general, and what could be done to improve the spectacle. German tabloids picked up on the rumours at the weekend, suggesting that Mercedes may be about to tempt its former protégé back into the fold. Schumacher leapt into the international motorsport arena as part of the Three-Pointed Star's sportscar squad prior to his F1 debut with Jordan in 1991, but has been a Ferrari man since joining the Scuderia in 1996. "I do not even want to comment on the rumour that I may be leaving Ferrari," Schumacher said, "Everyone knows that I am closely tied to this team."
There is no doubt in my mind that Kimi will be at Ferrari in 2007. The only question is whether or not Michael will join Kimi.
YES! Helloooooooooooo Kimi, and gooooooooodbye Schuey. We have gotten the best out of Schumacher, time for him to retire, but if he really wants to keep racing he needs to go do it somewhere else. And where does this guy get the nerve to ask for MORE money? Kimi is the man, and we can give him a race car that doesn't break. Besides a driver, the team should be finding a new designer, it's going to hurt when Rory leaves.
With things as they are right now, obviously Ferrari is on the downslide, while McLaren is moving up. I think it would be a mistake for Kimi to leave McLaren. On the flipside, Schumey going to McLaren would be a very smart move on his part (shades of Fangio going to the team with the best car). I think Ferrari has provided all of the World Championships they can to Schumey, it wouldn't be a bad idea to move on.
With end of the V10 era this year any success this year means nothing for next year. It will be such a crapshoot with the unknown V8's that branding any team as on the way up or down is only valid until the current season ends. Things can change drastically from one year to the next with a simple rule change as we have seen this year.
I agree. With the engine changes, I don't think anyone knows what is going to happen, and a move now for just about anyone seems silly to me..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/4184266.stm Including: McLaren team boss Ron Dennis added: "Our team is locked in an intense battle for the 2005 Formula One drivers and constructors world championship and everybody within the organisation, including our drivers, are and will continue to be 100% focused on this. "We anticipate long-term relationships with both Kimi, who is in his fourth season with us, and Juan Pablo (Montoya). "Consequently the team is not in discussion with any other driver, including Michael Schumacher about a possible team McLaren-Mercedes race seat."
The problem I see is that while Kimi is a great driver, he is not likely to the best spokesman for Ferrari like Schumi has been.
When exactly has Schumi been a spokesman for Ferrari? In those two sentence PR sanitized statements at F1 press conferences? Or when he addresses the factory workers in some prewritten Italian statements? Schumi does a lot of great things. Speeches are not one of them. Neither does Kimi, so IMHO it's a wash.
Perfectly stated. In addition, this is nonsense, MS got together with Norbert Haug to discuss F1 Business not a ride with Mercedes. Kimi is not going anywhere, why leave a team on the way up for one on the way down. The V8 Situation is no big deal and won't change the equation that much. Look at 89 the teams that had been strong in the turbo era were still strong in the 3.5 litre era.
Next year is the first of a new formula and if I was Kimi I would want to see who's competitive and who's not before signing a 2007 contract. Also 2008 could see F1 going in quite an other direction with teams going either left with Bernie and the FIA to GP1, or right, with the manufacturers to GPWC or whatever.
Isn't speculating fun? Maybe this is what Kimi thinks: 1) He'll clinch the title next year because he would have this year if it hadn't bee for reliability, which they now have cured. 2) Because of the 2008 changes 2007 might be the last year he has a chance to drive for Ferrari in Formula 1. Who knows what series we'll have in 2008.
You will see, Rossi will be in the F car in 2007. All these testrides and things, it's an agreed matter, a dream for the Italians and the sport. You know that Rossi is a nutty as a fruitcake. The F1 needs it. When I see that face of Raikonen I get sick. So bloody serious...
Perhaps MS feels the Schumacher/Ferrari era is coming to a close, that Rossi is the future of Ferrari and that now is the time to leave? Brawn and Todt aren't leaving at the end of 2006? I wouldn't mind seing Kimi/Rossi in 2007 but I can't see Ferrari dumping Massa after a year. In 2007 or 2008 ....Lewis Hamilton (he is british) will most likely be driving for McLaren. He is currently leading the F3 Euroseries and we might see him in GP2 next year. McLaren has been supporting since he was a 10 year old karting champion. Apparently, Ron Dennis is his manager. This is the guy I'm talking about http://www.mclaren.com/cgi-bin/frames?http://www.mclaren.co.uk/season/youngdrivers/lewis-hamilton.htm
I can. To me he is another Larini. Having said that I can't see Rossi in a Ferrari or any F1 for that matter. It is strange that they bring him back for testing though. But his times suck so badly, I think it is hopeless.
WORD, Rossi will bring tons of fans to F1. He will be going in as the underdog, and has a good chance to kick car guy ass.
I remember laughing during the interviews after qualifying (Turkey GP). Didn't Kimi say something like "and lets see what happens tomorrow" like he always do and Fisi looked at him and Kimi had a little smile on his face while saying this. Anyways... Maybe I'm just imagining things... Raikkonen looked less serious at Sauber. Once he was having some champagne with Heidfeld , Peter and some mechanics. They were all having a good thing. Maybe this is a bad example. Also just look at Coulthard now and when he was at McLaren. Different guy.. KR doing interviews at McLaren or Ferrari or Minardi will always be "boring". Let this guy do what he is suppose to do and that is racing. That, is not boring.