Kimster to retire at end of contract

Excellent post Ron!

 

Race strategies driver and team members meetings and all that stuff "COOL" waist the time in your yacht with all you friends and have a bad race tomorrow.

And 21 long years of bad championships yes I remember

Winter tests kms to march 4:

Kimi Räikkönen 5719 km (16)
Felipe Massa 5376 km (15) next day they will be even

They hired Kimi but never gave him a chance to win nothing, well maybe some races

well maybe just maybe if he have the commitment he can qualify better and have a decent races.

Well maybe you need to look on an other team because you all ready forgot Kimi performance in Australia, Istambul, Monaco. ??????

and for the qualy Massa 5 Kimi 1
Races status kimi 3 (1DNF) Massa (2DNF)

 

Charles, please read my words again, I never said I did not like Kimi, I do, I have nothing against his lifestyle. I think Kimi is really "cool". I love that he did a striptease two years ago at a London strip club. I only wish that F1 had not become so anal as to not appreciate a modern day James Hunt like Raikkonen. Although I have always stated he is too removed from the team, and it is now showing on the track. Hunt would drive a race car even when suffering with a stomach flu and throwing up in his helmet. Would Kimi do that?

I would like to see the Kimi/Felipe team continue for a long time. Massa is not my favorite, nor is Kimi, do not take my defense of Massa as meaning that he is my hero. I just do not believe for one second that Massa (nor Danica) deserves any of the negative comments I read. I can see his ability, I can see he is really trying. If Kimi did the same, try that hard, Kimi would be invincible, he is that much more naturally talented. Massa has had to work for his skill, so I give him bunches of credit for this effort. If Felipe continues with his learning curve, he will be one of the greats. That is an "if". Nevertheless, today he is one of the top four, no question for me.

But I also stand on my words about class. I like Fernando, great driver, he would be fun to sit with at dinner and talk. Probably a nice guy away from the spotlight. But he did use stolen material, knowing it was stolen. I can not abide by that double standard on Alonso's part, nor would I accept a Ferrari decision to hire Alonso for that very reason**. I would step away from my "tifosi" support of Ferrari in a heartbeat. And yes, I would buy an R8 knowing today it is a better car. No romance and no mystique as in a Ferrari, just a better car. And they do race in the ALMS, so I would have a race team for which to cheer. ** Hell yes I am anal!!

You can see the change in Ferrari as a company just in the way they approach the sale of their new cars. Right now they have an "I don't give a damn attitude" about the customer, knowing that for every current customer that walks away, there is another moron standing in line to buy a Ferrari. What ever happened to loyality, both ways?

I do have a sense of right and wrong, and that applies to people I thought were my best friends, and it definetely applies to sports teams and inanimate objects such as automobiles. I will walk away from a lifetime "friend" without looking back if they do something I believe is unethical and they are not honest enough to admit their indescretion. And as to the comment made by Mark, I couldn't give a rat's ass today, 10 year's ago, or in the future what some egotistical prick like Luca DiMontezemelo, and he is, thinks about me, my decision to purchase a car, or when I fart. I would, possibly will, buy an R8 on the basis that it is a better and more reliable car than the F430. The ass of someone like LDM I do not kiss, only mine and my girlfriend's, and her's is incredible.

Charles, I hope this clarify's my position. Thanks.

 

So what has ferrari done that was so unethical? So much so that you would buy an R8? It has nothing to do with Fred, Kimi or Phil I am sure...

 

Nothing. Yet, anyway. Hiring Fred would be the reason to walk away from the Scuderia.

The decision to buy an R8 would strictly be based on the fact that it is a much beter built car for the money. Strictly a black and white decision.

 

They haven't hired Fred yet.. And since we don't know the whole story, what Fred really did, only what Ron said he did and I don't trust Ron Dennis as far as I can... Anyway, you don't have a reason yet...

Also, I agree the R8 is sweet, heck it's a german lamborghini for the most part..

 

Ferrari signed Schumacher despite the fact that Schumacher knowingly used hidden traction control systems on his Benneton. Is that any less cheating?

Ferrari employed Harvey Postlethwaite, knowing that he led a team of Ferrari engineers in breaking into the Williams garage to take close-up inspections and measurements of the car. Is that any less cheating?

I am amazed and amused that so many folks here want to discuss the ethics of signing Alonso yet turn a blind eye to Ferrari's history. The words "selective outrage" come to mind...as does hypcrite.

Ron, I know you to be neither, unfortunately the same can't be said for all. I also know you won't buy an R8

 

that's the problem i have with all this whining regarding 'morals, ethics, ideals, etc'... I for one, have not forgotten the shady 'practices' Ferrari has done in the past. Don't know where so many got the idea that they are and have always been angels in the sport, I welcome FA to the Scuderia, no issues whatsoever...

 

And thats enough to secure him a life long supply of booze

I think thats more important.

 

Kimi just confirmed the rumors (http://www.gazzetta.it/Motori/Formula1/Primo_Piano/2008/06_Giugno/05/kimi5.shtml) ...he says that he'll either stop with F1 at the end of the contract or carry on for another 4 years. He also said that 'when you don't have fun anymore, it's time to go'...and that he might make his mind up by the end of the year.

Personally I hope that he'll stay with Ferrari for many years to come...

 

Maybe Kimi is getting tired of the "scripted" seasons that seem to be happening. The FIA nolonger want the championships wrapped up with mulitiple races left to go.

 

Nice ideals you live by......If it happened in the past then its ok now. Its people who think like you that are destroying everything we once knew to be decent.

 

What Schumacher participated in with Benetton is cheating, I do not doubt that. I wrote the answers to a test in 7th grade on my hand, that is cheating. But I never stole anything, nor knowingly used anything that was stolen. I see a BIG difference, can't imagine why you don't. I do not condone what you say HP did, first I have heard that story. I am certain every race team in F1, not to mention NASCAR, IRL, whatever has figured out a way to read between the lines. The king was Smokey Yunick. Although, I can not imagine Ken Tyrrell cheating, but....

As I have said many times, I would never hire as an employee someone I know used information stolen from my company. How can you ever really trust someone like this? Its like hiring the man responsible fo 9/11 to oversee national security.

I do not want Alonso at Ferrari, I will turn away from this team if that happens, couldn't care less what anyone thinks about this, and I am seriously considering an R8 because it really is a fine car. I am not governed by one brand of automobile. If I could afford it, I would buy a Veyron long before I would buy and Enzo. The first word I tried to teach my youngest daughter was Bugatti, then came Ferrari.

In another thread here on FChat, Kimi suggested that he has begun talks to extend his contract with Ferrari, so this entire topic may be moot.

 

I could really care less. I like Kimi but not that much...

 

Reigning world champion Kimi Raikkonen on Thursday refused to deny reports he is considering retiring at the end of 2009.

Hot on the heels of strong speculation that Fernando Alonso has penned a Ferrari agreement for 2010, it was rumoured last week that the Italian team's current star driver might not intend to pen another contract.

Raikkonen, 28, confirmed in a news conference in Montreal on Thursday that he has not decided what he is going to do beyond next year.

"I don't know what is going to happen, I haven't made my mind up," the Finn said. "Maybe I will make my decision this year.
"

The speculative reports last week cited a friend who relayed that Raikkonen 'loves the driving and hates everything else about Formula One.'

The Ferrari driver said in Canada: "I wouldn't stop if I felt I would miss it afterwards. For sure I would find something else to do and maybe I would enjoy that more."

"When there are too many things you don't enjoy it is time to go away."

 

Q: (Jon McEvoy – The Daily Mail) What is it you don’t like?

KR: "Everybody probably knows"...

Kimi's translation...."This"!!


Q: (Jon McEvoy – The Daily Mail) What sort of things: the media…?

KR: "It can be anything".

Kimi's translation...."Yes"!!