Apparently they have been negotiating over Kimi's and Williams' contract for weeks already.
Räikkönen's comeback to F1 is now closer than ever before.
James Allen writes in his blog that they have been negotiating for weeks already. The negotiations have proceeded well and the contract is close. Allen assures that he has got his information from very reliable sources.
Even BBC believes strongly in Räikkönen's comeback. They asked for Sam Michael's (Williams) opinion of Kimi last weekend.
- Kimi has always been a strong driver and he is a world champion. He is also a great personality. The paddock needs a driver like him. It would be nice to see him come back to F1, Michael said.
Of course it is possible that Williams wants to deliberately keep Räikkönen's name on the wall. That way they could influence the negotiations with the other drivers.
When representatives from Williams tell that Räikkönen is one option, they can get Rubens Barrichello to drive for a smaller salary or add a few more millions to Adrian Sutil's sponsors. According to information IS has, both Räikkönen and Sutil visited Williams factory on Wednesday 7th September, but not at the same time.
If Räikkönen's comeback to F1 becomes true, then next seaon there will be six world champions on the grid. That would be a record.
Janne Aittoniemi
Source: IS (paper edition)
Courtesy: Nicole
Showing posts with label Barrichello. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barrichello. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Door open to F1-serie
Will Williams choose Valtteri Bottas, Kimi Räikkönen or neither one of them?
Rumours about Räikkönen's comeback to F1 took a new spin yesterday evening. BBC's F1-reporter Andrew Benson wrote that Räikkönen is interested in going to Williams and the team has started to ponder over the matter. He could not offer any sources or comments from the parties that would have supported the speculations.
According to Christian Wolff, who owns 25 % of the team, Räikkönen's recent visit has led into too hasty conclusions. However he isn't shooting down the possibility of Räikkönen driving for Williams next year.
- F1 and Williams are one of Kimi's very many options. He is intelligent and sufficiently experienced to make the right decision, Wolff told IS.
Wolff is manager for Bottas together with Mika Häkkinen and Didier Coton. According to him it's still possible that Bottas would race already next season in F1.
- At the moment we are exploring all possible options, Valtteri's serie next season will be one of these: Renault World Series, GP2 or F1. We are discussing with sponsors about what would be his best next option, Wolff said.
It would be logical to make Bottas a F1-driver, but the team has suffered financial problems and they have been looking for another pay-driver to drive alongside Pastor Maldonado.
Rubens Barrichello doesn't believe that he will lose his seat to Räikkönen at least.
- I don't believe that Kimi's visit to the factory had anything to do with him becoming a driver for the team. Everybody also knows that Kimi won't drive cheap, Barrichello told the Brazilian media.
Source: IS (paper edition)
Courtesy: Nicole
Rumours about Räikkönen's comeback to F1 took a new spin yesterday evening. BBC's F1-reporter Andrew Benson wrote that Räikkönen is interested in going to Williams and the team has started to ponder over the matter. He could not offer any sources or comments from the parties that would have supported the speculations.
According to Christian Wolff, who owns 25 % of the team, Räikkönen's recent visit has led into too hasty conclusions. However he isn't shooting down the possibility of Räikkönen driving for Williams next year.
- F1 and Williams are one of Kimi's very many options. He is intelligent and sufficiently experienced to make the right decision, Wolff told IS.
Wolff is manager for Bottas together with Mika Häkkinen and Didier Coton. According to him it's still possible that Bottas would race already next season in F1.
- At the moment we are exploring all possible options, Valtteri's serie next season will be one of these: Renault World Series, GP2 or F1. We are discussing with sponsors about what would be his best next option, Wolff said.
It would be logical to make Bottas a F1-driver, but the team has suffered financial problems and they have been looking for another pay-driver to drive alongside Pastor Maldonado.
Rubens Barrichello doesn't believe that he will lose his seat to Räikkönen at least.
- I don't believe that Kimi's visit to the factory had anything to do with him becoming a driver for the team. Everybody also knows that Kimi won't drive cheap, Barrichello told the Brazilian media.
Source: IS (paper edition)
Courtesy: Nicole
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Barrichello doesn't believe that Räikkönen is a threat to his seat in Williams
Williams-team's highest management is not present in Singapore's Grand Prix -paddock. CEO Adam Parr has just returned home from Venezuela and Frank Williams didn't take a long trip to the Far-East.
Statements about the team's driver situations for next year are not to be expected - at least this weekend.
The Brazilian reporter Livio Oricchio from Sao Paulo's O Estado -paper asked Rubens Barrichello about the things concerning Kimi Räikkönen's visit to Grove factory.
– Everyone of us knows that Kimi visited the factory. I don't think the visit had anything to do with him becoming a driver for the team. The team is trying to save costs and as far as I know, Kimi is a driver with a high salary, Barrichello replied to the familiar reporter.
Oricchio didn't write anything about it in his own paper.
Turun Sanomat, Singapore
Courtesy: Nicole
Statements about the team's driver situations for next year are not to be expected - at least this weekend.
The Brazilian reporter Livio Oricchio from Sao Paulo's O Estado -paper asked Rubens Barrichello about the things concerning Kimi Räikkönen's visit to Grove factory.
– Everyone of us knows that Kimi visited the factory. I don't think the visit had anything to do with him becoming a driver for the team. The team is trying to save costs and as far as I know, Kimi is a driver with a high salary, Barrichello replied to the familiar reporter.
Oricchio didn't write anything about it in his own paper.
Turun Sanomat, Singapore
Courtesy: Nicole
Kimi Räikkönen chases F1 return with Williams in 2012
Former McLaren and Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen could return to Formula 1 next season with Williams
The Finn quit F1 at the end of 2009 to try his hand at world rallying but after two frustrating seasons he has had talks with Williams about joining them for 2012.
BBC Sport understands that Räikkönen is keen to join the team and Williams are weighing up the idea.
Räikkönen, 32, would partner Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado at Williams.
Maldonado is in his first season, but the team's sponsorship with his country's national oil supplier is understood to guarantee him a seat.
The veteran Brazilian Rubens Barrichello is Maldonado's team-mate this season, but his future with the team looks shaky.
The 40-year-old wants to stay on for a 20th season in F1, but sources say Williams are leaning towards not retaining Barrichello.
The Williams team would not comment on the situation.
One potential stumbling block is whether Williams and Räikkönen can come to an agreement on the size of his salary, but the team is hoping that his presence could attract new backers, which could help the move make financial sense.
Williams are having the worst season in their history in 2011 and currently lie ninth in the world championship with only five points.
Only the three teams who were new to F1 in 2010 are beneath them.
But it is believed that Räikkönen is serious about returning to F1 after failing to match the pace of the front-runners in the World Rally Championship and he has few options.
There is no space at any of the top four teams and although Williams are struggling they have strong engineering depth and are restructuring their team and Räikkönen is believed to consider that they are a good option for him.
The Finn left Ferrari at the end of 2009 after the team paid off his contract to make room for Fernando Alonso.
He won the world title for the Italian team in 2007, but his form dipped in the following two seasons and he was beaten by team-mate Felipe Massa.
After making his F1 debut for Sauber in 2001, he won 18 races in five years at McLaren and three at Ferrari.
Source: BBC
Courtesy: luieluv
The Finn quit F1 at the end of 2009 to try his hand at world rallying but after two frustrating seasons he has had talks with Williams about joining them for 2012.BBC Sport understands that Räikkönen is keen to join the team and Williams are weighing up the idea.
Räikkönen, 32, would partner Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado at Williams.
Maldonado is in his first season, but the team's sponsorship with his country's national oil supplier is understood to guarantee him a seat.
The veteran Brazilian Rubens Barrichello is Maldonado's team-mate this season, but his future with the team looks shaky.
The 40-year-old wants to stay on for a 20th season in F1, but sources say Williams are leaning towards not retaining Barrichello.
The Williams team would not comment on the situation.
One potential stumbling block is whether Williams and Räikkönen can come to an agreement on the size of his salary, but the team is hoping that his presence could attract new backers, which could help the move make financial sense.
Williams are having the worst season in their history in 2011 and currently lie ninth in the world championship with only five points.
Only the three teams who were new to F1 in 2010 are beneath them.
But it is believed that Räikkönen is serious about returning to F1 after failing to match the pace of the front-runners in the World Rally Championship and he has few options.
There is no space at any of the top four teams and although Williams are struggling they have strong engineering depth and are restructuring their team and Räikkönen is believed to consider that they are a good option for him.
The Finn left Ferrari at the end of 2009 after the team paid off his contract to make room for Fernando Alonso.
He won the world title for the Italian team in 2007, but his form dipped in the following two seasons and he was beaten by team-mate Felipe Massa.
After making his F1 debut for Sauber in 2001, he won 18 races in five years at McLaren and three at Ferrari.
Source: BBC
Courtesy: luieluv
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Journalist apologised to Massa for Barrichello quote
Felipe Massa has scolded a German newspaper for misquoting him ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
German weekly Sport Bild this week quoted the Brazilian driver as insisting "for sure I am not Ferrari's second Rubens Barrichello".
At Suzuka on Thursday, veteran Barrichello said he and countryman Massa are friends and was sure he would not have made disrespectful comments.
Indeed, Massa pointedly denies even mentioning the 39-year-old Williams driver during the German interview.
"The newspaper put in Rubinho's name," Massa told Radio Bandeirantes from Japan.
"It wasn't something I said. I spoke to the journalist today and they apologised.
"I am very open about what I said, but it wasn't that," Massa continued. "I was upset with what came into the press, because it's not nice to read an interview and it's completely the opposite of the truth.
"The question was 'would you accept being a second driver' and I said 'no because I race to win,'" said the 29-year-old.
Massa's teammate Fernando Alonso also scolded the publication, hinting that he senses an attempt to destabilise Ferrari for the benefit of fellow title charger Sebastian Vettel.
"I don't think we are going to get nervous about what is said by a newspaper from a country with a driver in the fight for the title," the Spaniard is quoted by the AS sports daily.
Source: Motorsport.com
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