Merged: Latest News: Kimi signes pre-contrct for Ferrari 2007

The grass is always greener of the other side of the track.

 

McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen on Thursday pledged his future to the British Formula One stable, pouring cold water on reports he had signed a contract for rivals Ferrari.

"There's no doubt we have the fastest package, I'm winning races and I'm feeling well in the team, so why would I even consider changing teams?"

Raikkonen said after a report in Germany's Bild newspaper that the Finn had signed a precontract to race for Ferrari in 2007.

"Surely, I'm in a position most of Formula One drivers want to be in," said Raikkonen. "I want to win races and world championships with McLaren. Ever since I came into Formula One, there have been speculations about my future, so there is nothing new for me. As I've said many times, I'm completely happy with my team."

McLaren boss Ron Dennis said Raikkonen and fellow team driver Juan Pablo Montoya were there to stay.

"McLaren is locked in a battle for the drivers and manufacturers championships and everybody in the team from the drivers to the mechanics is 100 percent focused on this.

"We anticipate long term relationships with both Kimi and Juan Pablo and consequently, the team is not in negociations with any other driver, including Michael Schumacher," concluded Ron Dennis.

 

You know what would really make all this speculating interesting? Some kind of wager! Sort of a football pool type of scenario. Whoever guesses the driver line-up for Ferrari in 2007 wins X.

I think Rob should create a post with some kind of small prize - maybe t-shirts for all the members who guess both Ferrari drivers for 2007. Could be a very LOOOONG post waiting a whole year to find out! But it could be fun!

Will it be Schumacher and Massa? Schumacher and Rossi? Raikkonen and Rossi? How about Raikonnen and Alonso??

 

Bild is now reporting that MS has no desire whatsoever to drive for another team AND would welcome Raikonnen.

Today, German publication Bild quotes Schumacher as saying that he would welcome the Finn as teammate.

"I wouldn't have any problem driving with Kimi in a team with Ferrari in 2007," the German is alleged to have said.

 

Swiss Blick is related to German Bild. However Blick is a lot more reliable as a source than Bild. Today they politely hinted at the reports from Bild as rumours and nothing else. Their way of saying, no way!

 

What I wanna know is if Kimi comes over to Ferrari would Michael go over to Mclaren with Ross Brawn and try to bring Mclaren back to there winning ways ?

 

WHAT YOU SAY? Ross Brawn bring WHO back to their winning ways?????

 

Exactly ... WTF did that comment come from?.

Some just live with their head in the sand (or in a Ferrari dream world ). Ross Brawn's days (if anything) are numbered in ANY F1 team, except I guess Jordan .

Pete

 

A drunk Finn in a Ferrari...who would want to miss that show??

 

I actually saw a half smile on Kimi's face when they were asking him why he stalled on the grid earlier this year. I'm sure ol Ron wasn't smiling when it happened. Then again this is the same guy that when asked what happened to Mika at monza that one year said something like "Mika failed to properly interface with the clutch pedal" huh?

 

I LOVE IT! So totally Ronspeak.

 

This is exactly what happens when the real racing is non existant and the mickey mouse spin the wheel rules make this year's championsip an absolute FARCE!

Even if Alonso or Kimi do end up winning this year's championship it will be a hollow victory handed to them by rule changes. The popular media realize that this year is an absolute farce and prefer to talk about who is ending up where in 2007 rather than concentrate on the on track action in 2005!

Too bad this has been one of the most boring years for F1 ever and there is no real racing to talk about!

 

Lol. oh yeah, he can start his own language with that one. I've been trying to figure out how to work that line into daily conversation, so far unsuccessfully. Just for my own sh$ts and giggles.........

 

Alonso and Rossi at Ferrari 2007. Hamilton isn't managed by RD and has no McLaren connection any more,which is not to say that Mercedes won't look after him. Schumacher might want to drive a Mercedes DTM car when he retires after the close of the 2006 season. Raikkonen isn't going anywhere. RD and Ojjeh could well be out of McLaren in 2007 in any case, at which point all bets are off. Anyway, that's what I heard in the pub last night ;-)

Oh and in 2008 Mateschitz will have completed his plans for world domination with his purchase of Ferrari to add to the rest of the grid that he snapped up over the previous 2 seasons.

 

This seems to become more and more realistic: Ferrari continues to offer test drives to Rossi (why I don't know) and Renault is probably pulling out of F1 after 2006 leaving Alonso free to go where he wants.

 

IMO, Rossi's raw talent will make a successful transition to four-wheeling and Ferrari recognizes it. The fact Rossi is Italian doesn't hurt things much either.

I posted it a couple months back and will do it again, now. Rossi WILL be on the 2007 grid in a Ferrari.

Dane

 

Precisely. There are some key facts to support this: -

Firstly, Flav Briatore sold Bentton to Renault on the basis of a 5 year plan. That plan delivers the team a championship (I don't think he actually specified which championship!!!) in 2005. it looks like he's going to deliver.

Briatore is well known for planning for the future. Both he and Alonso have only renewed their renault contracts for 2006.

Carlos Ghosn is not an F1 fan. The fact that Renault will have achieved their ambitions as set out by Flav gives Ghosn an ideal exit point and allows him to be rid of Enstone. The 2008 rules will also allow Renault to keep their hand in in F1 by selling customer spec V8 engines - this may also allow them to sell the team to Daivd Richards - he gets a decent engine plus the Enstone base and a set of guys he knows well and who respect him. There's even some historical evidence (remember Mechachrome and Playlife?) to support Renault's willingness to white label their engine to allow Hyundai to enter F1 as an engine supplier.

Renault can then keep Viry Chatillon going, sell their F1 team for a decent price, duck out of F1 at a time when the world economy is going to bite and yet still keep up with technology advances in F1 by supplying a current F1 team.

I think this situation is the reason why Webber will stay with Williams, but I doubt he's been told the full facts by his management team!

Anyway, that's what the guy sitting next to me on the train told me

 

Interesting analysis all around. Maybe Webber should read FChat?

I need to take your train more often.

Only one thing is hard to believe: That anybody would respect Richards...just kidding.