http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=127384 So will Kimi take that option and delay going over to Ferrari while Michael stays on longer??
I don't think Kimi will stay at MB, he is much better off at Ferrari. With the design crew humming and Ferrari's vast experience with Bridgestone, it will be a milestone season with Kimi and MS on the same team.
The newest printed Autosport magazine stated that Ferrari had an option on Kimi for 2007, which they decided to excercise. The only remaining question is how would Ferrari handle Massa who has done his job well for the team, if Schumacher decides to stay one more year. Likely, Massa would be "paid" to hang around until 2008, and then team up with Kimi.
Now I understand the wheeling and dealing from Mateschitz trying to put him to Toro Rosso: They RBR seats are already taken, so there is no more Ferrari engine for him. But Mateschitz could give him a TR seat. Tough choice: Test driver for Ferrari or racing driver in the Toro Rosso. What would you pick? PS: The thought of Kimi and MS at Ferrari is mind blowing!
Let me try to get this straight. The STR car is the RBR from last year, right? I thought this wasn't allowed in F1, but Super Aguri got around it because Arrows has been gone for a while. So will STR next year have the current RBR (which I think isn't allowed) or will they have their own new chassis? If it's new, do you think they'll have Renault power as well since RBR can't get out of the Ferrari contract? It might not be a bad thing for FM to go to STR in that case.
At the Hungarian GP, the Speed TV reporter had asked Berine about the Kimi situation and according to Bernie, although he was hoping Kimi would go to Ferrari, it was not going to happen. A month ago I was fairly certain he was going to Renault; now I think he will go to Ferrari unless there was a clause in the option agreement that MS would not be there in order for Kimi to be obligated to drive. Who the hell knows.
Kimi doesn't care if he is N2 or N22, he wants to be N1 - that will never happen with MS. And MS prefer Massa to be his N2. I think Kimi will stay at McLaren.
I feel he'll either stay put or go to Renault. The only way Kimi will go to Ferrari is if MS retires. As much as i'd love to see Kimi kick some German tail at Ferrari, I doubt it will happen. Hopefully i'm wrong.
I don't think Renault want to lose Hekki, I think if they get Kimi, than Hekki goes to Toro Rosso for one season and back to Renault in 08 to replace Jarno Fischella or is it Giancarlo Trulli?
The speculation regarding Mercedes buying a larger stake in McLaren and paying Kimi some really big bucks to stay is really interesting, but I doubt Kimi would want to be number 2 to Alonso which is what would happen, especially if Alonso wins his second championship. Kimi doesn't seem to be a driver who would accept a lot of money in exchange for accepting a lesser position within a team or a less competitive car, but I cannot help thinking that, as an attorney, that if Kimi were my client and we were in discussions with Ferrari that led to an option agreement, that that agreement would make the option conditioned upon MS retiring by a date specific so as to guarantee Kimi #1 status within the team. With MS having put of his retirement decision as long as he has, I think Ferrari is in a position where they have either MS or KR but not both, and Kimi will keep any option money fronted to him in the event MS does not make up his mind. If MS decides he wants to drive for another year I doubt Ferrari would turn him down but it does complicate their driver lineup for 2008 and beyond since all the current stars would be signed for multiple years. Maybe Button to Ferrari in 2008? Who knows
There's the thing, he wouldn't be number two. Only Ferrari in the Schumacher era has contractual number twos. I'm sure they'd be allowed to race.
Maybe, but i'd trade Hekki for Kimi. Other than the race of champions we know nothing about Hekki. We all know what Kimi can do.
I just think back to Reubens and although he wasn't regularly as good as MS he wasn't allowed to race unless he was really on his game that day. I can's see MS consenting to true equal status since he will always feel like he was the driver that put it all together so he comes first.
I see it as unlikely that MS would let Kimi have equal status. Especially if Kimi were to prove to be faster on a regular basis. Alonso on the other hand didn't seem to mind fighting Trulli when he was on the team. Trulli held his own pretty well in qualifying against Alonso.
I'm convinced that Kimi is going to Ferrari, for the simple reason that Ferrari cannot afford to wait for Michael to decide on his future. My guess is that Luca Di had to bite the bullet and think of the longer term future of the team, which is no longer Michael. I'm sure it was a gut wrenching decision for Luca, but I'm convinced he made it already. No offense to Michael, but if I were in Luca's shoes, I'd sign Kimi and let Michael decide whenever he wants. Then park Massa as a high dollar test driver. There still exists the possibility that Michael retires at an unexpected time. He could decide mid season 2007 that he's done. He could win his 100th race and quit, you never know with racers. It's like a switch, one day it shuts off and they're ready to go. I'm reminded of how Lauda quit the first time, as well as how Jackie Stewart quit. No warning, they just stopped. And don't forget that Mika almost quit right after his big accident in Australia 2001, only to quit at the end of the year. Personally.... I think Michael will stay on for one more year, but you never know. From what I understand Corina may be putting pressure on him to quit once he wins the title. And truthfully, I bet Michael does not even know when he'll stop. Unfortunately, F1 is a business and Ferrari cannot wait for Michael to do his soul searching, that's why I'm convinced Kimi is signed, sealed and delivered.
Actually, the question was about Kimi going to Renault, and Bernie commented "that would be great but I don't see it happening". I think we'll see him with the Scuderia in 2007. Not so sure about MS, though.
Fast course in Heikkis history and actions: Born 19.10.1981 in Suomusalmi Finland 1999 - 2000 raced with karting cars and won for example Elf masters 2001 British Formula Renault 2002 British Formula 3 @ Fortec 2003 Formula Nissan @ Gabord 2004 Formula Nissan @ Panos -> Series Champion 2005 GP2 @ Arden -> 2nd in series (Nico Rosberg won) 2006 Testdriver for Renault F1, already over 25 000km this year with a F1 car, supposed to have driven the most of all drivers this year. 2007 ??(Renault, ??yes please) Otherwise, he is a very down to earth sort of guy that is very likeable. Doesn't act like a superstar in anyway at all. And the passion for racing you can see in his eyes But still I agree, we dont have a clue how he would do on a racetrack with other F1 cars.
BREAKING NEWS !! The same finnish magazine "Iltalehti" that has earlier announced that according to their very reliable contact Kimi will be driving for Ferrari has an article today with the topic: MERCEDES CAN GET KIMI ONLY BY BUYING THE WHOLE FERRARI TEAM ! The articel continues about correcting all the rumours that Mercedes would be buying Mclaren and therefor also Kimi. The stated that not only has Kimi allready made a deal with Ferrari, the deall is not only water proof but also BULLETPROOF. They end the article with that if Mercedes wants to get Kimi, they have to buy the whole FIAT organisation or atleast Ferrari, which is not going to happen. They also state that their contact is definately trustworthy, and that the deal will be announced offently at Monza. Those were not my words or oppinnions, BUT I SURELY HOPE SO !
I really hope that this is true, I think it would be amazing to see Kimi in a Ferrari next season. Dream lineup would be to see Michael and Kimi dual it out next season in the same machine, it would be intersting to see if MS could grab that last title and then retire. Then Massa enters stage left and supports the iceman to the championship in 08'.
