Kimi To Retire At End Of 2015 Season
Discussion
He's never really settled anywhere. It's sad really as he is naturally talented as a driver and if he had settled somewhere could have had a much more decorated f1 career.
Maybe world rally cross will be where he finds his home post f1? I can see it suiting his style quite well, more than rally and f1 anyway
Maybe world rally cross will be where he finds his home post f1? I can see it suiting his style quite well, more than rally and f1 anyway
designndrive62 said:
He's never really settled anywhere. It's sad really as he is naturally talented as a driver and if he had settled somewhere could have had a much more decorated f1 career.
Maybe world rally cross will be where he finds his home post f1? I can see it suiting his style quite well, more than rally and f1 anyway
Sadly the place he worked best was also the team who forgot to actually pay him for his services. Lotus were perfect for him, laid back attitude and just let him drive. Last season's performances proved that. Maybe world rally cross will be where he finds his home post f1? I can see it suiting his style quite well, more than rally and f1 anyway
Would be good to see him in WRX though.
designndrive62 said:
He's never really settled anywhere. It's sad really as he is naturally talented as a driver and if he had settled somewhere could have had a much more decorated f1 career.
Maybe world rally cross will be where he finds his home post f1? I can see it suiting his style quite well, more than rally and f1 anyway
I think he was pretty settled at Lotus and would have stayed there (despite lack of payment) if it hadn't been so damn obvious to everyone that Lotus was heading for a total car crash of a season this year. Maybe world rally cross will be where he finds his home post f1? I can see it suiting his style quite well, more than rally and f1 anyway
To be fair it seems like the media are pretty harsh on Kimi. Last 2 years he was considered one of the very best drivers and everyone was amazed at his return to F1. This year he has a st car and is being shown up by his team mate (who most pundits seem to think is the best driver on the grid) and after only 8 races people are saying he should quit, he is past it, etc.
Clearly he isn't past it but he isn't able to deliver in this mediocre car.
Having said that I'm not surprised he is going to retire, he will be 36 at the end of 2015 and I think he is getting too old to hop into a mid field team and try to build it up around him and it is highly unlikely Ferrari or another top team will offer him another drive unless his 2015 performance is amazing.
He is basically in the same place as Button - quite keen to race on but no viable options if Ferrari turf him out. A very, very good driver but not really considered a great by anyone. There are loads of cheaper talented young drivers out there and it is hard for teams to justify the massive wage packet these former champions demand unless they are extra special and consistently outperform the car.
Edited by VolvoT5 on Friday 4th July 06:41
Ferrari do have a problem though. Alonso no doubt wants to jump ship to a team that is either better now than Ferrari, or is expected to be better in 2015 or 2016, such as McLaren,
Ferrari have a very short list of star drivers to bring on board. And it seems that their strategy always seems to pair a star driver with a safe pair of hands...the departure last year was,I think, both an insurance policy and to kick Alonso.
So that leaves Vettel as their number 1 target, doesn't it? With Bianchi in the 'number 2' car...
Ferrari have a very short list of star drivers to bring on board. And it seems that their strategy always seems to pair a star driver with a safe pair of hands...the departure last year was,I think, both an insurance policy and to kick Alonso.
So that leaves Vettel as their number 1 target, doesn't it? With Bianchi in the 'number 2' car...
It's always hard to be able to tease out like for like abilities between drivers, but Kimi's return shows that Massa was not all that slow even in a team built around Alonso's style and yet Bottas has a firm edge over Massa.
Jettison Kimi at the earliest opportunity and parachute in Bottas as a second driver/greater challenge to Alonso than Kimi's been.
As for Vettel/Ricciardo, I understand that Vettel's style doesn't suit this new breed of car but Ricciardo looks a lot more race smart it not outright faster. Vettel is looking ordinary. Whether the same would have been the case 12 months ago is hard to tell. Just shows how hard it is to compare different drivers without considering the quirks of different cars.
Jettison Kimi at the earliest opportunity and parachute in Bottas as a second driver/greater challenge to Alonso than Kimi's been.
As for Vettel/Ricciardo, I understand that Vettel's style doesn't suit this new breed of car but Ricciardo looks a lot more race smart it not outright faster. Vettel is looking ordinary. Whether the same would have been the case 12 months ago is hard to tell. Just shows how hard it is to compare different drivers without considering the quirks of different cars.
dgmx5 said:
It's always hard to be able to tease out like for like abilities between drivers, but Kimi's return shows that Massa was not all that slow even in a team built around Alonso's style and yet Bottas has a firm edge over Massa.
Jettison Kimi at the earliest opportunity and parachute in Bottas as a second driver/greater challenge to Alonso than Kimi's been.
As for Vettel/Ricciardo, I understand that Vettel's style doesn't suit this new breed of car but Ricciardo looks a lot more race smart it not outright faster. Vettel is looking ordinary. Whether the same would have been the case 12 months ago is hard to tell. Just shows how hard it is to compare different drivers without considering the quirks of different cars.
I'm sure I'm not the first person to wonder whether Ferrari's sights will be set on Daniel Ricciardo in the future, right?Jettison Kimi at the earliest opportunity and parachute in Bottas as a second driver/greater challenge to Alonso than Kimi's been.
As for Vettel/Ricciardo, I understand that Vettel's style doesn't suit this new breed of car but Ricciardo looks a lot more race smart it not outright faster. Vettel is looking ordinary. Whether the same would have been the case 12 months ago is hard to tell. Just shows how hard it is to compare different drivers without considering the quirks of different cars.
Kimi Raikkonen slams F1 media over 2016 Ferrari paycut reports
When asked in Austria on Thursday about rumours of a paycut for 2016, Raikkonen criticised those in the media speculating on his future.
"I heard something about that - I'd be interested to know who wrote it," said the 2007 world champion.
"First of all you have no idea what my contract says. You never have.
"It's the bullst nonsense you guys come up with all the time. It's fine with me.
"Have you seen my contract? So you just come up with bullst - yes or no?
"You don't know the contract but you write stuff. You write stuff that's not true.
"Maybe you should start writing some things that make sense."
After admonishing the press, Raikkonen finished with: "Write what you want, I don't really care."
When asked in Austria on Thursday about rumours of a paycut for 2016, Raikkonen criticised those in the media speculating on his future.
"I heard something about that - I'd be interested to know who wrote it," said the 2007 world champion.
"First of all you have no idea what my contract says. You never have.
"It's the bullst nonsense you guys come up with all the time. It's fine with me.
"Have you seen my contract? So you just come up with bullst - yes or no?
"You don't know the contract but you write stuff. You write stuff that's not true.
"Maybe you should start writing some things that make sense."
After admonishing the press, Raikkonen finished with: "Write what you want, I don't really care."
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