Räikkönen says F1 future an open question

Kimi Räikkönen’s chances of returning to Formula 1 next year with Williams seem to have receded according to latest reports.

Autosprint reports that the 2007 world champion’s prospective sponsors may have withdrawn their interest, leaving fellow Finn and rookie Valtteri Bottas at the top of the candidates list now.

German commentator and former F1 driver Christian Danner would not mind if Raikkonen’s comeback attempt fails.

“Quite simply, he was already past his best when he stopped,” he told German broadcaster RTL, referring to Raikkonen’s departure from Ferrari in 2009.

Swiss commentator Marc Surer agrees: “Whenever I think about Kimi I always worry about his motivation.

“His rallying did not bring him the desired result so he tries formula one again?

“I think he would fit well with Williams, who have the motto that the driver drives and the team worries about the technology.

“But he would be only in the midfield,” he told Germany’s T-Online. “I would rather see a hungry, young driver there.”

A current competitor of Räikkönen’s, Mikko Hirvonen, hopes the 32-year-old stays in the world rally championship.

“Two years is not enough to get the experience you need,” he is quoted by World Rally Radio. “The last rally of the season was not so good but (if Räikkönen stays in 2012) it would be good for the world of rallying.”

Typically, Räikkönen himself is giving nothing away.

“What happens in the future is still an open question,” said the winner of 18 grands prix.

Source: YallaF1

Here are Kimi Räikkönen's plans for next season

According to information IS Urheilu has, Kimi Räikkönen is looking after a quite diversified racing program for next season

He is going to drive both rally and track-racing next season also.

If Räikkönen's plans succeed, then his racing program migth also include these famous track-races: Nascar's opening race Daytona 500, legendary formula-race Indianapolis 500 and the classic of endurance races; Le Mans 24 hours.

Räikkönen also wants to continue in WRC where he would drive only for a part of the season, mainly in races taking place in Europe.

Though Räikkönen recently visited Williams F1-factory in UK his comeback to F1 is still highly unlikely.

Räikkönen is however interested in driving one formula race with an IndyCar-car. One of his dreams is to take part in North America's most famous formula race Indianapolis 500, which takes place at the end of May. It remains to be seen if the Indy-start will happen next year already. It might not go well together with his Le Mans -plans.

Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 are USA's most famous car races. They are on oval tracks and Räikkönen already has oval-experience from last spring's Nascar-races.

Räikkönen is also very fascinated by Le Mans 24 hours that takes place in June. In August he was already testing Peugeot’s Le Mans -car on Aragon's track in Spain and he enjoyed that experience very much.

Janne Aittoniemi

Source: Ilta-Sanomat
Courtesy: Nicole

Free Mr. Räikkönen is open to all offers

Kimi Räikkönen is known for not living in the past - still the 31-year old racer hasn't yet grabbed his future either.

At the eve of Germany rally Räikkönen managed to walk around every pitfall when interviewed by Turun Sanomat.

Räikkönen says he is satisfied with his development during the second year in WRC. He has five rallies behind him and five positions on WC-points.

– It has been a little more easier than it was before. We have lost a few positions when we had the tyre puncture in Jordan and crashed into a fence in Jyväskylä. The best is that we have progressed in time from last year, Räikkönen estimates.

How will the development proceed if Räikkönen drives WRC-rallies for the third season?

– Time will tell, he says.

Then how open is Räikkönen's next year?

– There are no plans.

Then is there something that you at least have ruled out of your options?

– Useless to ask, Räikkönen grins.

You aren't planning on stopping your driving career, are you?

– I don't know. It's useless for you to ask. Even though you would ask me in a hundred different ways, the reply won't change. When you don't know it yourself, then there aren't many others who know either, Räikkönen insists.

Then what would you still want to do - Le Mans 24 hours or perhaps the Dakar-rally?

– It could be really cool to drive Le Mans. But if you are going to drive it, then you also have to drive a few races as a test and the schedules can become tricky. If I would go for example with Peugeot to Le Mans, then I would have to drive at least three test races.

– I haven't even thought of something like Dakar. It could also be a cool experience but I don't have any urge to go there. I'm sure it would be very different, although I don't know since I haven't been there.

Lets go back to rally.

A year ago in Germany Räikkönen achieved his first rally merit when being the fastest on the last SS. This year that same 4,37 kilometer long Trier's Circus Maximus SS will give power stage points to the three fastest.

Räikkönen has been driving with his own Citroen DN3 WRC -car only a day on tarmac when testing. He doesn't start specifying his expectations.

– There could have been a little more testing. Now we more or less try out things here. We'll see soon how the rally takes off. There is a small bit of real tarmac too, although the surfaces are mostly somekind of beton.

A track driver's experience doesn't help in tarmac rallies.

– There is nothing similar in them. The normal roads are never like a real track, the car is jumping and flying here and there.

It's easy to determine that Räikkönen would take a F1-challenge if he would be given the right offer.

How much do you follow F1-races?

– Everytime when I'm at home.

What do you think about the multiplied overtakings in GP-races?

– Apparently it's easier in some races than in others. It depends upon how they decide about where the back wing can be opened. But it has nothing to do with the actual overtakings anymore. All you have to do is move beside and press a button and the one in front of you can't do a thing.

– I guess they have been trying to take it into the right direction. Maybe it looks more cooler in television but it's not any real racing.

– The tyre department again is a completely different thing. Those races where the tyre consumption have been decisive, they have been the best competitions, Räikkönen thinks.

Doesn't it tingle at all to get there and start overtaking?

– It doesn't change my attitude at all if they overtake there or not. It is always cool when you get to race. That's all it takes.

Räikkönen is not surprised that Sebastian Vettel's superiority has evened out a bit during the season.

– Often the situation always evens out every year if someone has been clearly leading in the beginning. And Vettel probably doesn't even have to win races in order to stay in the lead up until the end.

– That was the best in those Nascar-races. To just drive alone in a circle was boring but especially in the truck-race the feeling was great. It's great to race when you have cars all around you. It's racing all the time. The Nationwide-car didn't turn anywhere. That's why it wasn't as cool as the truck-race was.

Are we going to see Räikkönen in Nascar-races in the future?

– I don't know. Let's see. I could go there if I wanted to but like I said I haven't thought about next year at all.

Räikkönen was expected to go to the States again last weekend for the Watkins Glen's Nascar-race. Actually they tried to lure the him there very much after one Sprint Cup -driver was injured and his car was offered to Räikkönen.

– I just didn't want to go there. Besides the race was postponed by a day and I wouldn't have got here in Germany for recce then, Räikkönen said.

Turun Sanomat, Trier

HEIKKI KULTA

Courtesy: Nicole

Kimi is offered both Nascar-races and cars

Todd Hirschfeld, who takes care of Kimi Räikkönen's matters in Nascar-circles was for the first time in a rally.

Several Sprint Cup -cars and budget for Räikkönen in Nascar races could be arranged, for example to Watkins Glen's race in the middle of August. Kimi alone decides what he will do.

Next week Räikkönen will test his Citroën for two days before the next WRC-rally in Germany. It looks like he wouldn't have Nascar-races planned in the near future.

– I don't know, lets see, Räikkönen replied to questions about Nascar-races.

Turun Sanomat, Jyväskylä

HEIKKI KULTA

Courtesy: Nicole

Button reaping the rewards of hard work

Jenson Button says the constant speculation about his F1 future shows that he is in "a privileged position" for the first time in his career

Although the 2009 World Champion's dismal record in the British Grand Prix continued on Sunday, it cannot detract from what has in general been a positive season.

Button already has an option on his McLaren contract for next year, and it is likely that will be taken up - the 31-year-old having already said that he would like to end his career with the Woking team.

Despite his apparent contentedness, though, Button's name has still been linked to Ferrari, whilst Red Bull was mentioned for the first time at the weekend.

After many years of struggle with a number of midfield teams, even wondering if he had a future in F1 on occasion, Button would appear to be in a favourable situation.

"I've been through a lot of crap times in my career, so it's nice to be in this position that I feel I've worked hard to get to," he said.

"I'm think I'm all right speed wise, I'm naturally talented, lucky in a way you could say, but I've also worked hard as well in my career in many different areas.

"Yeah, I've worked hard to get where I am and for what I've achieved, and I feel there is a lot more I can achieve in Formula One.

"That's probably one of the reasons why I'm being linked with other people, so it's nice to have positive comments written about you, and they're all exciting prospects.

"You could say I do feel in a privileged position. It's nice to be in that position."

Any switch to Ferrari would be in place of Felipe Massa, who has generally struggled to match Fernando Alonso since the double world champion arrived last season.

Moving to Ferrari is a scenario Button cannot entirely dismiss, saying: "As a kid growing up there were three teams that really excited me, and they were the three fighting for the world title in Williams, McLaren and Ferrari.

"I've driven for Williams and McLaren, one at the start of my career and one now, but your dreams as a kid don't always come true.

"I don't know where my future is, other than in a car that is definitely fighting for victories, which is exactly what I want at this moment in time after what I've achieved.

"So it's a case of never say never. You've got to keep your options open, never burn any bridges.

"But I don't think you want to look too far in the future either.

"You have to live the moment and enjoy what you're doing, and I don't know what's going to happen in the future at the moment."

Button is adamant he would have no problems working with Alonso, despite the Spaniard's problems alongside Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in 2007.

Alonso also replaced Button at Renault at the end of the 2002, with the latter then joining Jacques Villeneuve at BAR.

"I'm pretty strong in the head when it comes to team-mates - I've worked with Jacques Villeneuve," added Button.

"He made a lot of comments, mostly not to my face but to the media, but halfway through the season we became good friends.

"I think he realised it was wrong of him to make the comments he did. I think he was upset because a new guy was coming into his team.

"But I've no worries being anyone's team-mate. I relish racing for a team that has a competitive driver. I enjoy the fight."

Button has won once this season in Canada, but in general he, Hamilton and McLaren have fought a losing battle with Red Bull and now Ferrari.

A botched pit stop forced Button into retirement at Silverstone, leaving him 95 points adrift of Sebastian Vettel with 10 races remaining.

Button is no longer considering the title picture, adding: "The most important thing to think about is race wins now.

"You never know what is going to happen to Seb, but I think you have to take every race as it comes and not think about the Championship."

Source: Planet-F1

Red Bull will quit from NASCAR, what happens to Kimi?

The Associated Press tells that Red Bull will quit from the NASCAR series after 2011. Red Bull is owner of NASCAR team, where rumours were taking Kimi Räikkönen for season 2012.

Red Bull is owner and sponsor of the NASCAR team wich has two cars. The team hasn't been so successful, wich is the main reason why Red Bull will quit from NASCAR. In future Red Bull will use more resources to their Formula One teams Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso.

Earlier, there were rumours wich were taking Räikkönen to drive on Red Bull's NASCAR team at 2012.

There are no information about does Red Bull's decision affect on Kimi's future at NASCAR. Red Bull didn't confirm yet will they fully quit their activity on NASCAR also with sponsoring.

Source: RacingNewsFlash

Kimi Räikkönen making Nationwide debut but uncertain about NASCAR future

Kimi Räikkönen does not know when or if he will return to NASCAR following Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Kimi Räikkönen will make his Nationwide Series debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend, but as far as his future plans, the former Formula One champion said he was unsure whether he will return to NASCAR and when that return might come.

Räikkönen, who drove a truck for Kyle Busch Motorsports last week at Charlotte and then tested a Sprint Cup car for Robby Gordon Motorsports on Tuesday, will drive for Nemco Motorsports in a KBM-prepared Nationwide car this weekend in the Top Gear 300.

Whether the 31-year-old Finnish driver goes Cup racing remains to be seen.

“You always have in mind to try to do [Cup],” Räikkönen said Thursday prior to Nationwide practice. “Another thing is it going to happen or not. I don’t know.

“Of course I am probably more keen to the road courses than anything else. I leave Saturday as soon as the race is over back to Europe. I have other things to do. After that, I don’t know when I will be back.”

Räikkönen, whose primary racing job is competing for his own team in the World Rally Championship in Europe, crashed during his Cup test Tuesday at Virginia International Raceway. It didn’t give him much of a feel for whether to return to NASCAR to compete in the Cup event at Infineon Raceway next month.

“I just ran a bit wide and decided to go with the grass, but unfortunately there was a big hole or something in the grass so it destroyed the front end a bit,” Räikkönen said. “It was fun to drive it. … I probably ended up doing only 20 laps.

“We just put tires on the car. We didn’t do any changes. We didn’t have time. Like I said, it would be nice to go and do [that Cup race at Sonoma] but I don’t know if it is going to happen or not. I do this week and then I have to go back to do my Rally stuff and we’ll see if I come back.”

The original plan for Räikkönen, who has sponsorship from Perky Jerky and is being represented by the HMS Worldwide sports agency in his NASCAR effort, was to do three to five races for KBM in a truck. But team owner Kyle Busch said Friday that Raikkonen and his sponsors have only paid for the truck race last week and the Nationwide race.

“It's either up to Kimi or up to the financial people that run Kimi's business side of things and decide that they need to find the sponsorship funds in order to carry the experience for him further [with us],” Busch said.

Busch said he was pleased with Räikkönen’s debut last week – a 15th-place finish in the truck race.

“Certainly, he gave the truck a good ride,” Busch said. “It was really loose and he did a nice job with car control and everything else.”

Räikkönen said racing in traffic last week was fun and he enjoyed the NASCAR-style racing. He hopes that this weekend is a little easier for him.

“Once you do it once, you know much more how things go,” Räikkönen said. “I had no idea what we should do during [the race]. I know how to do restarts, but I didn’t know exactly how it goes because I haven’t really seen it or done it before.

“All those things I know now. It’s much easier to go for the second time.”

Source: SceneDaily.com

Alonso: I’d like Flavio to return we miss him

Fernando Alonso would like to see Flavio Briatore back in Formula 1 which has further fueled speculation that the controversial Italian millionaire, who led Alonso to two F1 world titles, is on course for a role in the Ferrari team in the near future.

The ‘Mou’ reference is to Jose Mourinho, the highly respected Portuguese football coach who arrived at Real Madrid last year and is regarded as one of the best managers in history.

In Turkey last weekend, rumours that Briatore – currently banned from Formula 1 for the his role in the 2008 Singapore GP race fixing ‘crashgate’ scandal – could be heading to Ferrari were mentioned by Sky Italia.

“I would like Flavio to return, we miss him,” Alonso told Spanish broadcaster TV3. “He is an unique character but it wouldn’t be like Mou in Madrid”, he added, possibly referring to Mourinho’s latest controversies.

Instead, Alonso said Ferrari has important questions to ask itself regarding its overall approach to designing its single seaters.

“I think Ferrari has to try to change a little bit the way we work, risking more and being more innovative,” said the Spaniard. “From now on we have to start inventing.”

The two times F1 world champion insists the 2011 season is still long but acknowledged the challenge of chasing down Red Bull Racing’s runaway Sebastian Vettel.

“We will not give up so soon but we are aware of the difficulty of having this championship,” said the 29-year-old.

Ferrari technical director Aldo Costa also said it will take some more time before the 150 Italia car is a winner.

“Probably in Barcelona we will take another step forward,” he told Diario Sport, “but we will have to wait for some more races to fight for victory.”

Source: YallaF1

Leading teams to meet for talks on potential takeover and Formula One's future

Four of Formula One’s biggest teams will meet in Germany this month for summit talks regarding the future of the sport

Representatives from Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull are scheduled to meet in Stuttgart a week on Saturday to discuss a range of issues including negotiations over the new Concorde Agreement, various technical regulations including the planned switch to a new 1.6-litre turbo engine from 2013 and, of course, the potential takeover of the sport by a consortium including Rupert Murdoch’s News International and Exor, an investment firm with links to Ferrari.

On Tuesday night, News Corp and Exor released a joint statement confirming their intention to approach the sport’s stakeholders regarding a takeover.

CVC, Formula One’s owners, responded by claiming that the sport was currently not for sale but leaving the door open for a bid.

McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull are likely to grill Ferrari on their intentions with regard to the News Corp-Exor partnership. They may even investigate the possibility of joining the consortium themselves and trying to become joint owners in Formula One.

Former team boss Eddie Jordan said on Wednesday that the News Corp-Exor takeover was “just posturing” and there are many who believe that the teams led as usual by Ferrari are trying to use the threat of a takeover, or a breakaway series, to extract a better deal from F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

Source: The Telegraph

Kimi could have drove the whole Nascar-season

Kimi Räikkönen told that he could have drove the whole Nascar-serie already this season.

He starts from the Truck-serie and will see after a couple of races if he will go to Nationwide- or Sprint Cup -series in the future. Räikkönen has agreed upon driving 3-5 races with the team owned by Kyle Busch.

- I could have raced the whole serie this year also if I would have wanted but there are unnecessarily many races for that. Let's just drive what we have agreed upon and see what happens next year, Räikkönen tells MTV3.

- It will become interesting when you start racing with others. I guess it will take it's own time before getting used to not really seeing anything at all to the sides, Kimi says.

- America is quite different. The going is at times quite funny too because they have a completely different approach to the whole motorsport. It's quite laidback in the final games although I've just seen it. It was a funny experience already in the beginning, Kimi smiles.

MTV3 - Antti Rämänen, Anette Latva-Piikkilä
Courtesy: Nicole

Vettel answer excites Italian reporter

Whether a genuine hint about his future or a mischievous reference to recent speculation, Sebastian Vettel caught the attention of Italian reporters with a single comment on Wednesday.

After the reigning world champion answered a question asked by Italian television RAI at the Valencia test, the reporter urged the 23-year-old to repeat his answer in Italy’s native tongue.

"I’ll speak Italian when I go to Ferrari," the Red Bull driver quipped.

Vettel had earlier met at the Spanish circuit with the energy drink Red Bull’s boss and owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

Source: Motorsport.com

Kimi Räikkönen Interview MTV3 at Rallye de France 2010

Kimi: " There are different people speaking different things. I only had one year contract with them. Those people there (RB) I personally have been speakin with knew it´s going to be tough and difficult and crashes were expected. It´s not surprising, there´s always lots of commentating, I´m not worried about it."

Source: MTV3
Courtesy: Moominpappa

Kubica undecided about future amid Mercedes rumours

Robert Kubica on Friday said he is no closer to making a decision about his future.

In the wake of Felipe Massa's re-signing by Ferrari, it had been expected the Pole would stay with Renault in 2011.

But a specialist Italian website claims that, amid criticisms of Michael Schumacher's recent performances, Mercedes has made an offer to accommodate the impressive 25-year-old next year.

Asked about his situation in Valencia, Kubica told the Guardian: "I don't know. I haven't made my decision yet. It's not keeping flexible.

"I don't think what I will be doing in three years' time -- I don't think what I will be doing in three weeks' time," he said.

Renault team boss Eric Boullier said recently he would soon sit down with Kubica and discuss the future.

Boullier said on Friday: "We are optimistic. It's nearly done -- there is a contract in my suitcase."

Source: Motorsport.com

Vettel eyes Ferrari seat 'in a few years'

Sebastian Vettel has repeated his desire to one day race a Ferrari in Formula One.

With Vettel under a longer contract to Red Bull, his teammate, Mark Webber, is being linked with a move for 2011 to the famous Italian team.

"I am very happy with Red Bull," the 22-year-old German told Spain's El Pais newspaper.

"I am not going anywhere else, but in the future, I don't know.

"I want to fight for the world championship, and if you look at the past, Ferrari has always designed very competitive cars.

"Why not go there in a few years?" Vettel admitted.

He added: "Ferrari is unlike any other team, it's a legend. There are other brands that achieve great success, but Ferrari is special."

Bernie Ecclestone is said to be pushing very hard for Vettel, the F1 chief executive's unabashed favourite, to end up in red overalls.

"I don't think that's true," Vettel insisted. "I have a good relationship with Bernie, but fortunately I will decide my future."

Source: Motorsport

The future of Kimi Räikkönen and Red Bull

Source: YouTube @Anelise30
Courtesy: _TaniaS_