Once again he puts rumours to rest..... Kimi insists he'll see out his Ferrari deal Thursday 24th July 2008 - PlanetF1.com Reigning World Champion Kimi Raikkonen has insisted he will see out his current Ferrari contract. Speculation is rife Raikkonen is poised to quit F1 at the end of the season amid claims he has become bored with the sport and is eager to seek new challenges. But the 28-year-old has revealed he is unwilling to walk out on the team in the middle of a deal that runs until the end of next year. Beyond 2009 however is another matter, despite the fact he earns a princely £20million per season. "I'm not in a hurry to decide what I am going to do in the future," said Raikkonen, speaking to Spanish daily El Mundo. "I have a year left on my contract that I want to fulfil. Later, in 2010, I do not know if I will be in F1. We will see. "It is not an easy decision. I have to evaluate many things, and I am not going to give any explanation to anybody. "I will make my decision when I am ready. Ferrari are not pushing me on this." Raikkonen does not fear being bored should he quit, adding: "No, I'm calm. "There are many things to do outside Formula One. I will find ways to amuse myself so I do not see any problem in using my free time." Raikkonen concedes he is certainly happy at Ferrari, even if the team are currently in the middle of a slump and he has failed to win any of the last six grands prix. "I enjoy it more here than anywhere before," remarked Raikkonen, who started with Sauber before moving on to McLaren. "Each team is different - Sauber to McLaren, McLaren to Ferrari. "They are different teams from different countries. If you went from one English team to another you would not appreciate the difference as much. "But when you change countries, you do. They have different ways of working. "I enjoy it at Ferrari. The people are pleasant, the atmosphere is fantastic and they take care of you. "They give me my freedom, and that is one of the main reasons why I left McLaren. Here, they allow me to live my own life. "They are also relaxed and optimistic. They always attempt to see the positive side of things."
Whew! What a relief. I was worried there for a moment that we would not have anyone on the team trundling around, mildly tippsy, in 6th place, bowling over children in the paddock and photogs on the grid. And let's not forget about the facinating interviews that we might have missed. Honestly, I had high hopes for KR when he came to Ferrari and by the skin of his teeth and the help of the FIA and Massa he did manage to win the WDC. Since that point, I believe that his motivation has been dialed back a few notches. Clearly he is a good driver, but it he seems to be "phoning it in" certainly in qualifying and this year in the races as well.
