Kimi in no rush to contemplate F1 return

Mr. Cool has spoken.

I agree with pretty much everything he has said. IMO I think he's just waiting what Jean Todt will do and if he improves the political side of the sport, and if there's more overtaking I think we may see Kimi back. I hope so anyways.

 

"F1 in no rush to contemplate Kimi's return"

 

I read it as he won't be coming back.

 

it's no secret vettel and kimi are friends, in fact i think kimi once said he's the only driver he's ever hung out with.

kimi may not care about f1 anymore, but i guarantee if any of the big teams struggle this year they'll be banging down his door next year to drive for them.

 

Coincidence?

 

+1

 

When was Kimi ever in a rush to do anything?

 

+1 He's now a former F1 driver and WDC... I'll be watching him rally... would be cool if he could excel there and finish his career having achieved the highest level in both sports...

 

F1 is continually evolving. With the emergence of massive corporate sponsorship to support the continually expanding budgets of the teams, PR has taken center stage.

Like Nascar, Football, Golf, and other sports, the athletes themselves have to present themselves as clean-living (read non-controversial), upstanding citizens, always saying the polite and correct things, and toeing the corporate line. Also, they are subject to endless "meet and greets" with current and potential sponsors. Kimi doesn't exactly strike me as the extroverted "meet and greet" type. Instead of faking, Kimi would rather avoid the whole thing entirely and just focus on the driving. Unfortunately with the needs to attract and placate the necessary sponsors, this is not an option for today's drivers, but pretty much a requirement...

I think with this environment in mind, Kimi just may not be a good fit psychologically for the PR and other demands of F1. Kimi speaks his own mind, which is rather refreshing, but in turn it has bit him in the tail on several occasions. He is like a circle that is not going to compromise and fit himself into a square just because the world tells him he should.

In the 60s or 70s Kimi would have been great. I could see him becoming great friends with James Hunt for instance.

I personally find Kimi's talent to be prodigious and will miss seeing him in F1 next year.

He may have just gotten too burned out to go through the motions anymore and rallying will probably be like a breath of fresh air to him.


If Kimi does wish to return to F1 in the future, he may encounter problems due to his extremely high salary demands and the paddock's impression of his commitment in his last season at Ferrari, which is unfortunate...

Frank

 

He's still carrying the same attitude. "If someone throws a ton of money at me I'll think about it a little more and maybe take them up on it." Sure. He's done and has mentally moved on a couple of years ago.

 

It seems he did a Hakkinen. Retire without making a big deal about it.

The door is always there if he want's to comeback. Forza Kimi!

 

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!



Like every boxer that takes a heard shot in the jaw... "you didnt hurt me!" (right before they fall down). Kimi says he can return to F1 anytime, that he "maybe" will watch some races on TV, that he just doesn't like the direction F1 is going, that it's not the right time for him to be there, etc, etc, etc.

He doth protest too much.

Tell us again Kimi how you don't care about F1, you won't even bother to watch more than a race or two, how you're really happy to be doing rally instead of F1, etc, etc.

The guy is obviously regretting being such a hardliner. His stock is going to go down with every passing race. If he thinks $18mm to drive in '10 was an insult, wait until he sees what the offers are for '11.

 

The day Kimi got the WDC, his fire dimmed.

Whatever, Kimi.

 

Everyone has strong opinions about Kimi.

I for one will miss him in F1 this year, and wish him all the best. However, I am looking forward to a very exciting season with a lot of fantastic drivers on the grid, in what promises to be a lot of very good cars.

If Kimi is rallying this season in order to hold out for a better F1 offer, I say that is a very risky strategy for him. This season promises to produce enough competition and interest with other drivers that I think his stock price will fall steadily the longer he is gone.

If Kimi is rallying this season because he really believes he will enjoy it more and thrive in that environment, then I say go for it!! All the best to you, Kimi. Keep in touch.

 

It is a shame not to see Kimi in 2010. As much as I like him as a driver, he was hot and cold in 2009. Hope to see him back though. Who knows, F1 is full of surprises.

 

Well, i think Kimi won't have a chance in the future, pending on young guns available in the market. New drivers are cheaper, hungry. Something Kimi isn't.

I still sense a bit of arrogance in him.

'I could get an F1 drive again any time, but lots of bad things are happening in F1'

It's pretty obvious in this statement. Frankly, i think it's tragic that Kimi is not racing this year. I've said it before, someone like Kimi doesn't deserve just 1 WDC. 3 would be more appropriate.

Someone mentioned about Kimi-Redbull-Vettel-Merc link. I think thats Kimi's last shot at F1.

 

The reason there is pressure and politics in F1 is there is money and lots of it. I like his driving, but no one ever gets paid huge money without some pressure to perform and deal with some of the politics. Still would like to see him on the grid.

How much is he being paid to drive a WRC car?

 

There may be no need (at least economic need) to return to F1. Todt has already taken concrete steps to restore rally to its former glory and commented on Kimi's importance to the sport. And Block is good news too. Todt is, after all, a rally guy at heart.