Several media sources at the Brazilian Grand Prix are now reporting that negotiations between Kimi Raikkonen and Williams are over.
“It’s true that we had serious negotiations with Raikkonen,” Williams team boss Sir Frank Williams said to Italy’s La Stampa, indicating that the team is no longer negotiating with the 2007 world champion.
French website Sportune.fr reported that the negotiations broke down because Raikkonen’s managers, David and Steve Robertson were asking for 30 million euros for just the 2012 season – which is 30% of the annual budget of the Grove team. Williams proposed a counter-offer of a fixed salary of 6 million euros and 10 million euros in stock for the 2012 and 2013 seaons. The counter-offer was not accepted by Raikkonen’s management.
However, Renault team principal Eric Boullier admitted today in an interview with Finnish television broadcaster MTV3 that Raikkonen’s management has been in contact with Renault regarding a potential drive with the Renault team for next year.
“I will not tell anything about it but yes, we have contact with the management of Kimi,” said Boullier, when asked whether Raikkonen was still an option for the team next year. Boullier also did not give a definite date for when they would be making decisions about drivers.
The Renault team principal refused to elaborate more on the negotiations, saying: “Nothing more about this matter. Ask them [Raikkonen's management]. I learned from last year and I don’t want to talk anymore about this matter.”
Boullier was referring to the big media fallout between Raikkonen and Renault last year after Robert Kubica’s tragic accident left one of the Renault seats vacant. Raikkonen’s management had quietly sounded out the Renault team with a view of returning to Formula One in 2011. Boullier had described Raikkonen’s interest in driving for Renault next year as “flattering” but insisted that he wanted to meet Raikkonen face to face to find out about the Finn’s motivation to return to Formula One. Raikkonen hit back angrily at the team, accusing them of using his name merely for marketing purposes.
Source: F1Zone.net
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