Raikkonen to McLaren for 2010?

What's wrong with other teams having a go at the championship? Does it makes them deserve it less? I thought it was nice and refreshing and shows that there are actually other teams in the championship that are fighting as well. In F1, all are equal.
 
There has been no fighting for the championship though. In the first couple races Brawn were completely untouchable, then they faded away and Red bull came out to play and through a series of miss fortunes, they are no closer to winning the championship then when they were at round 7. Now Brawn have the championship wraped up which is what seemed to be the case at round 6. Last year and the year before the championship wasn't wraped up until the last corner in 2008, and the begining of last race of 2007. It is my opinion that a team should be good throughout the entire year in order for them to win the championship and not be good for half of it, die and rely on the miss fortunes of others to stay in the game.
 
Nay.. Lame would be a few years ago when a certain Ferrari driver almost won all the races year after year after year
 
i dont really wanna see kimi at mclaren... well i do but i dont..... i know ron is gone, but i just cant help feeling that no matter what the team say, its hamilton thats going to get dibs on everything.

if that doesnt happen then we have a massively good 2010 to come.... providing no one messes up the designs, we could easily have Brawn, RB, Mclaren and ferrari at each others throats every race.

i reckon if ferrari have a good car and once alonso is up to speed hes going to be better than massa
 
New Kimi Interview:
Kimi Raikkonen Q&A: Maybe I?ll race in 2010, maybe I won?t
Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari. Formula One World Championship, Rd 15, Japanese Grand Prix, Preparations, Suzuka, Japan, Thursday, 1 October 2009 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari F60 makes a pitstop. Formula One World Championship, Rd 14, Singapore Grand Prix, Race, Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore, Sunday, 27 September 2009 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari. Formula One World Championship, Rd 15, Japanese Grand Prix, Preparations, Suzuka, Japan, Thursday, 1 October 2009 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari F60. Formula One World Championship, Rd 14, Singapore Grand Prix, Qualifying Day, Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore, Saturday, 26 September 2009 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari. Formula One World Championship, Rd 15, Japanese Grand Prix, Preparations, Suzuka, Japan, Thursday, 1 October 2009

Even though he?s known for some time that 2009 will be his last season with Ferrari, Kimi Raikkonen was unexpectedly emotional when speaking about it in the Suzuka paddock on Thursday, giving one of the longest interviews of his entire career. However, the Finn, who will be replaced by Fernando Alonso next year, remained pretty tight-lipped about his future plans, refusing to reveal whether rumours of a return to McLaren are accurate?

Q: Kimi, you had good times at Ferrari, won a championship and now it?s all over. How do you feel about that?
Kimi Raikkonen: Well, let?s face it, in the end I have achieved what I wanted - I?ve won a championship. I?ve worked with them for the last three years and now things have changed. It?s not the first time that it has happened in Formula One and surely won?t be the last time. That?s all I want to say.

Q: But how did Ferrari convince you to end the relationship. You had a contract for 2010 with them?
KR: There are many reasons. You should ask them. But in Formula One, even if you have a contract, there is always a lot of money involved, so there can always be different options in life. That?s obviously what happened. Sure, there is not only one reason for what has happened, that?s why everybody decided to end up in this position.

Q: You had a contract for next year and have done your best over the last three year, winning one championship. Do you feel you?ve been unfairly treated?
KR: I?m still happy with what I?ve done and I think I will have a good future. Sure, if you sign a contract you finish it, but obviously it didn?t work out. Overall I?m okay with it.

Q: How long ago did you know you won?t race for Ferrari in 2010?
KR: For quite a while now.

Q: Are you okay with the solution you?ve found?
KR: Yeah.

Q: There are a number of options open to you for the future. One of them is returning to McLaren. Could you imagine going back? Would you enjoy it there again?
KR: I have nothing bad to say about them as we always had a good relationship, and of course it?s a chance. But honestly I haven?t thought too much about these things, but in time I will make my decision. I will let you know!

Q: Are you a bit frustrated with Ferrari this season?
KR: I don't think anyone expected Ferrari to have this kind of season, which turned out to be so difficult. But this can happen in Formula One sometimes, when you don't deliver a car capable of getting us to the front, but this is just one year and we will wait and see what happens next.

Q: Renault said that they will make their announcement next week. Could they be an option and have you talked to them?
KR: No, not with them.

Q: If you could do it all over again would you do anything differently?
KR: Would I have made different decisions? No. I am happy about what I have done, but sure if you look back in hindsight you probably would have done different things. But that?s easy to say afterwards. Regarding my contracts, no I would not have changed anything.

Q: What did you give to Ferrari and what did Ferrari give to you in the last three years?
KR: I?ve achieved with them what I always wanted to achieve. We had good times, of course, but we also had difficult times. But that?s part of the whole business. Sometimes you have good moments and sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and carry on. Overall I have happy memories of my time with the team. I have won a championship and the team has won two. That is something that nobody can take away.

Q: You have seemed to have had ups and downs. Did you always give 100 percent or have there been moments where you lacked motivation?
KR: No, there has never been a lack of motivation. All the stories came from the media - basically you guys. I never had any motivation problems. Sure if you have good results life tends to be easier, but then these things happen.

Q: Many times before you?ve said that Ferrari will be your last team. Have you changed your mind or were you forced to change your mind?
KR: Like I said, there have been many options around and what happened now is just one of them. I think in the end I am happy with what happened, otherwise I would not have done the deal with them. For the moment I have not decided if I want to continue racing, or what I want to do. Before I had a contract for 2010, now not anymore. That changes things. Maybe I?ll race, maybe I won?t.

Q: What are the chances of you going rallying now?
KR: There is chance, but there is also chance of racing in Formula One. For sure I will decide before the start of the next season what I am going to do.

Q: Did you ask Ferrari why Fernando and not me, or why Felipe Massa and not me? Did you get a satisfying answer?
KR: I know more or less the reasons and it has nothing to do with my racing or anything I?m doing in the team. It?s just purely another reason.

Q: How much has your departure to do with the arrival of Santander?
KR: For that you?ll have to ask the team.

Q: Wherever destiny takes you, do you hope to fight with Fernando for another world title?
KR: If I decide to go with a team next year, I am surely not going with any of the small teams, as that will never give me the chance to fight for the championship. And if I?m not able to fight for the championship, there will be no reason for me to be in Formula One
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http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2009/10/10024.html
 
Go to McLaren please Kimi..... I'd prefer to support you there rather than Lewis "I'd like to thank the fans for their support" Hamilton (NB- I don't have a problem with him saying it but the more he says it the less it matters to me..... change the record to something else please).
 
AnGuRuSO said:
he ducked almost every single question.
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He doesn't duck, he simply doesn't give a flying fuck. He is Kimi.



Anyway..

Toyota chasing Kubica for 2010
By Jonathan Noble Friday, October 2nd 2009, 02:13 GMT



Toyota is making a major push to beat Renault to Robert Kubica's services for 2010, AUTOSPORT has learned, as the Japanese manufacturer sets its sights on securing a top-line driver pairing.

Despite recent rumours suggesting that Toyota could pull out of F1, the team's F1 president John Howett told AUTOSPORT in Suzuka on Friday that the team was not only fully committed for next year - but that it was increasing efforts to sign a star driver that would help it capture its maiden win.

Although Kubica has been most strongly linked with Renault for a deal for next year, AUTOSPORT understands that talks between the Polish driver and Toyota are at an advanced stage - with the ball now in Kubica's court as to whether he wants to take up the option with Toyota, or pursue the one he has with Renault. A decision is expected in the next week.

Howett would not confirm the identity of the drivers his team was talking to, but he has not held back in his belief that the team needs a better driver line-up in 2010 if it is to make the final push to win.

"We know who we would like in the car and we are working hard on it," said Howett. "But their [the drivers'] decision is a holistic decision as well. Will we have a winning car next year? There are drivers who haven't come here in the past who probably regret their decision.

"There is always risk and opportunity, and drivers don't always take the right decisions, do they? That is just looking historically over the past five years."

Howett said that the team has opted to release both Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli from their options for next year because Toyota wants a totally clean deck when it comes to choosing drivers. This decision comes despite Glock's second place finish in the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend.

"We want the options as we think there could be quite a big movement in the driver market," said Howett. "I think he [Glock] did a fantastic job in Singapore and we are talking to him, but honestly speaking we feel that could have been that result in other races if we could qualify in that position.

"I am sorry, it is a very tough life, and our job is to deliver results. He could still be in the car next year, but we wanted to keep our options open. And if we didn't release him by a certain date, we would be fixed for 2010."

He added: "We have a car that is more regularly capable of being on the podium and much closer to the top this year. We are not delivering, and there are things beyond the team and the chassis itself."

Howett, who was seen in talks with Kubica's manager Daniele Morelli at Suzuka on Friday morning, said he was hopeful that one of the big names his team was speaking to would commit.

"I think personally that they would be stupid not to," he said. "We have got a lot of inertia. I think there is a lot of uncertainty about a lot of teams, to be honest.

"We seem to be the focus of everybody's attention but to be blunt there are a lot of teams on the inside we hear rumours of, that are more severe than our condition. I think we have had a fairly competitive car, and we seem to be constantly coming.

"I think the drivers also can see when they are driving around the circuit as well how the cars work and their relative differences. I think there should be at least one or two seriously interested to come."

Howett also reiterated his team's desire in luring Kimi Raikkonen to Toyota, even though the Finn appears set to move to McLaren for 2010.

"We have always expressed interest in Kimi," he said.
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yeah, fat chance of Kimi driving for Toyota :rolleyes:
 
Sad to see Kimi leaving Ferrari. That interview really makes it seem like it as purely a financial decision on Ferraris part. IF Falonso again starts to bitch and moan mid season and IF Massa keeps beating him... man oh man I will have a laugh. :p Great job Falonso. You're the first driver in a long long time to buy a seat at Ferrari.

That deserves an applause.

Kimi to McLaren. I want to see the hungry lion of the early 2003, 2004 and 2005! If McLaren give Kimi the same possibilities as Hamilton that can happen.
 
^ You mean because of the Santander deal or because Alonso is willing to accept a smaller paycheck?
 
zephyrus17 said:
^ You mean because of the Santander deal or because Alonso is willing to accept a smaller paycheck?
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Falonso and Kimi both are not cheap drivers. So yea maybe mostly because of Santander backing Falonso. With the cars Ferrari proveded Kimi he did his best. Ferrari and Kimi both have said that R?ikk?nens driving was not an issue. So it seems it was purely a financial decision. Kimi wanted his contract to be respected, Ferrari wanted to save what... 7 maybe 10 million.

For a team like Ferrari that is not a huge amount even in the current financial climate. It's not exactly pocket change but it isn't a big amount of money for Ferrari and it's sponsors.

Anyway. I am not the only one who is abit dissapointed about this arrangement. Next year will show how things turn out. What is clear however is that money played a HUGE part in all of this and for that reason the team didn't back Kimi.
 
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+ 1, I agree with you about the Santander thing.
 
Agree about the Santander deal, but it's more to do with Alonso's leadership quality that Ferrari wants.

They want someone like Michael who can lead a team in almost every aspect, and Kimi is not that type of driver.

Kimi's approach towards F1 has always been "show-up-and-deliver-result" type of attitude.
 
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hahaha "Ted stop! It's not 1-to-1"
 
ROFL "Ted stop! it's not 1 to 1"

LOL
 
Thank you so much! :)
 
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