Ferrari ‘prefer Raikkonen to Massa’ for 2014

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In the round-up: Ferrari are trying to get Kimi Raikkonen back in one of their cars for 2014.

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Ferrari considering Kimi (Sky)

Mark Hughes: “Ferrari have told me that Kimi is very much their target. Reading between the lines of what they’re saying, if they don’t get him they will retain Massa.”

Confusion surrounds F1’s 2014 calendar (Reuters)

“However, there has been scepticism about just how many races will be on the final version, with Ecclestone even suggesting it could be as many as 22.”

Hamilton makes the call and patches up his differences with former boss Dennis (The Daily Mail)

“We had a nice chat on the phone recently, over the August break. We spoke for about an hour. It was a really good conversation. I don’t think there are any issues there personally.”

Sebastian Vettel Q&A: There’s still room for improvement (F1)

“Even our team weather expert thinks that it could be wet. What does that mean? That we very likely will have a hot and dry qualifying and a wet race. But we have had that before, so no big deal. Probably what we will do is a compromise on the car. But that is a decision that we will take tomorrow.”

Vettel expects tight qualifying (BBC)

“I felt pretty comfortable but I’m sure it will be very tight. We saw that in first practice. Second practice if you look at it too much it is a bit of a distraction.”

Lewis Hamilton: “Those extra few tenths… it’s why we get paid the big bucks” (James Allen on F1)

“It’s a slightly different feeling at the factory – it feels like NASA at the MTC. Whereas, at Brackley it feels more like a Formula Three team – a real pure racing team. It’s a different feeling but I quite like it.”

Lotus shelves long wheelbase for Monza (Autosport)

“Lotus will not run its new long-wheelbase car for the remainder of the Italian Grand Prix weekend.”

Mercedes’ cross cut wheel rims (Scarbs F1)

“Closer examination proved the hollow rim theory to be unfounded. What appeared to be an opening on the rim into a double-walled hollow section, provide to simply be tape placed inside a recess made into the rim.”

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Comment of the day

Lewis McMurray has a thought on F1’s return to Mexico City’s track:

Can someone do me a huge favour and phone the Mexican government and arrange for Hermann Tilke to be barred from the country? Cheers.
Lewis McMurray (@Celicadion23)

From the forum

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On this day in F1

The 2008 Belgian Grand Prix ended in controversy as winner Lewis Hamilton was stripped of his victory following a hotly-disputed call by the stewards.

Felipe Massa inherited first place ahead of Nick Heidfeld at Hamilton’s relegated McLaren.

Image © Lotus/LAT

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79 comments on “Ferrari ‘prefer Raikkonen to Massa’ for 2014”

  1. Please let that be true. I’d actually like Ferrari if they did that.

    1. Me too, but personally, I think Fernando will eat Kimi.

      1. I don’t think so. Alonso is very good handling a bad car especially a understeery car but often when the car’s good even massa can match him.

    2. I have different thought, I believe in Ferrari camp there are some Kimi’s fans and also Massa’s fans. This employees would never support Teflonso’s arrogant, therefore they did not work 100% whilst having the biggest budget. Teflonso is wasting his time there, they do not respect him nor support him.

  2. So Ferrari wants Raikkonen and Raikkonen is running out of front runners? Either media is making stuff up again or Ferrari wants a WCC again.

    On other news, it’s no wonder Lotus runs into financial problems, they run DRD during practice and not in the race, they run long wheel base in practice, but not in the race. Thats gotta be a whole lot of wasted money.

    1. I don’t see it, myself. Ferrari tend to take drivers for the long term, and I don’t think Raikkonen will stay in the sport for as long as they would want him.

      1. @prisoner-monkeys At first I thought it like you, but thinking twice they both came into F1 in 2001. Why should Alonso stay for more? Especially now he’s angry with Ferrari who seemed to be his “retirement home”, I can’t see McLaren/Red Bull offering him a contract and he would never leave for a lower team, so if the results don’t come I think Alonso will retire earlier than Kimi.

    2. Yeah, the longer wheel base seemed equally fast so it would not penalize them if they keep it …

    3. If Lotus were leading the WCC then be cautious. They are not so there really isn’t any reason not to run the DRD. What is the worst that will happen? They will be behind Merc. They had this thing for over a year. They may have been able to have a speed advantage when the tires were thin. We will never know since they are playing it too safe.

  3. Chris (@tophercheese21)
    7th September 2013, 0:19

    I think Lotus should be re-named to:”The team that almost made a significant upgrade”.

    1. The little team that couldn’t.

    2. They should change their name to “Tottenham Hotspur Racing”.

    3. Yeah you’re right on the money. Wasn’t this upgrade a desperate attempt to heat the front tyres? The new rear didn’t hurt them in Germany but the new fronts only helped red Bull fight their understeer problems.

  4. I guess the knot lies in Kimi accepting that if he moves there; he’s, plain and simple, the number two. Kimi… number two… I don’t see it happening and it would be a shame. This goes back to what Whitmarsh said some days ago: Kimi wants to move but I don’t think he will succeed… And I guess RBR assessed that they need a development “more than yes no answer” driver for next year, and Kimi is not one; otherwise why did that not work.

  5. petebaldwin (@)
    7th September 2013, 0:29

    Got to love the ridiculous comments Hamilton comes out with at times…. Saying that his current employer’s factory feels like a Formula 3 team!? lol

    1. @petebaldwin

      Yeah, I had to read that a couple of times as well before I realized he was actually trying to make a compliment there.

    2. Yeah, on second reading he does mean it in a good way but certainly it could be misconstrued.

      That being said, the press handlers at Brackley would surely point this out as them not being as control-freakish as McLaren

    3. @petebaldwin
      Ridiculous only to you buddy, thought it was nice, fair and humorous comment.

      1. petebaldwin (@)
        7th September 2013, 11:47

        @jason12 I thought it was humorous as well but anything you say to the press can be easily taken out of context (as ALWAYS happens with Hamilton)!

        Clearly he meant it in a nice way – that the team have a more personal touch rather than everything being scientific but without doubt, the quote will be “McLaren is like Nasa, Mercedes is like a Formula Three team.”

        1. Yes. Somehow it was nice for both sides, he said McLaren has state of the art facilities and organization whereas Mercedes has more passion, I’d say mixing McLaren and Mercedes you get Ferrari :)

  6. I’ve lost a huge deal of respect for Ferrari since 2010. They hired Alonso, who was directly involved in the spygate and therefore damaged Ferrari (though Ferrari laughed at last), and via their brand new sponsor (brought by Alonso) they scrapped Kimi, a hell of a driver and Ferrari’s last champion until today. Then, adding to the fact that Massa was (is) underperforming, they deny his victory at Hockenheim. While Alonso acted consciously against Ferrari, Massa has raced a Ferrari his whole career (either Sauber or Ferrari itself). And yes, I’m a Massa fan and no, I don’t say that Alonso is rubbish, in fact I admire his capacity in both great and bad cars. But Ferrari here, has little self-respect, IMO. They even now hired De la Rosa, another guy involved in the spying thing. Why don’t they re-hire Stepney while they’re at it?

    1. Maybe they have to come to realize that Kimi wasn’t the problem, it was in fact them.

    2. While Alonso acted consciously against Ferrari

      When?

    3. I have lost lots of respect for F1 since I’ve started watching it and in particular lately after such bizarrely quiet 2009-2011. Not Ferrari in particular actually quite the opposite, above all I can’t stand the individuals that only fight for themselves grasping onto life in F1 and especially Felipe Massa if he was a man he wouldn’t acknowledge that he is slow and he must help his team but in the same time play victim.

  7. If that’s true, then perhaps Ferrari have come to realise their “one rooster” rule isn’t really working at the moment, because Kimi would never move to Ferrari to be a #2 driver.

    I hope he does go to Ferrari, in fact. I think the ALO/RAI partnership would be far more explosive than the VET/RAI partnership would’ve been. It would certainly be interesting to see how Alonso copes with being demoted from undisputed team leader to a potential team player.

    1. Yes I think Ferrari are finally realising that for winning the constructors and indeed the driver’s championship, you have to have TWO competitive drivers, having a number 1 policy is irrelevant when Felipe always ends behind Fernando’s rivals.

    2. I disagree with you.
      Even if they give both drivers the same car, Alonso will always be the n°1 of the team because he has the whole etam behind him actually. Kimi just wants to drive and will never sympathise with a big part of the team, so Alonso stays n°1, even if Kimi outperforms him.

      1. I disagree with you.
        Kimi would never sign a contract that would put him into #2 status. So if he goes to Ferrari, he won’t be #2 by contract, that’s for sure. Alonsos influence in the team isn’t as big as it has been and Ferrari just might try a different approach and get 2 great drivers and actually try to win the WCC for real, since they’ve tried it for 4 years with ALO only and it hasn’t paid off, so time for a change?

    3. I don’t know if I am pleased with this outcome. With Toleman-Bennetton-Renault-Lotus looking like it will be taken over again in the next few years (nothing can disguise their financial problems), they could drop back, this is not good for Kimi. But I don’t know if I want him to go to Ferrari. I was kind of hoping that it would be Hulkenburg who got that seat.

  8. Love the COTD.

    And seeing Kimi in a Ferrari again would be awesome.

    Carry on.

    1. Am I the only one who thinks that Tilke did a good job with COTA, Buddh, Sepang, Istanbul and others?

      1. He did a good job with COTA, Sepang and Istanbul

        1. But it wasn’t Tilke who designed Cota. It wad Hellmund. Tilke did the F1-sation of the track.

  9. There are rumors on the paddock saying that Ferrari has already signed with Kimi but neither him or Ferrari want to reveal it at the moment for obvious reasons of course, the announcement may come after Singapoore, Massa also has been linked to DTM, i know that sometimes there is a lot of rubbish in these kind of rumors but let’s wait and see this time

  10. I swear I will lose ALL respect for Kimi if he signs back with Ferrari; 1) after they pushed him out like Schumacher and 2) the car has sucked since 2009. its that damn Domenicali, he cannot run a F1 team. get some1 like Briatore…Domenicali doesn’t have a racing background, his area of expertise is business administration

    1. I’m a big Kimi fan. I know what you are saying but Ferrari is the only place he can go to win a championship again. Lotus is not a title contender by any means, Red Bull now have the two sits occupied for a long time so thats not going to happen. He has 3-4 years more, and he knows he is better than Alonso, why not ? Maybe McLaren is a good option too specially with Honda joining them next year, and everybody knows Kimi is like 2x times better than Button at least, but right now they are nowhere, so I think for F1 history, Kimi’s move to Ferrari alongside Alonso would be something of Prost-Senna in McLaren magnitude, way better than Alonso-Hamilton in 2007, a team with two WDCs ? I’ve never seen it before (I started watching F1 in 1995).

      1. McLaren had 2 WDCs (Button and Hamilton) in the same team between 2010 and 2012.

    2. after they pushed him out

      Wish somebody would pay me 20 million for not driving. Hey, I’d do it for 10 million.

    3. You lose all respect for Kimi, and not Ferrari? Ferrari were the one pushing him out and Ferrari is responsible for the car capability. There’s no logic in your statement. Also, what better choice would Kimi have, RBR, Merc are both full, Ferrari is better than Lotus and has alot higher chance doing good next year vs the money draughted Lotus. So from the available options -> Ferrari is the best. Logical move if Kimi goes there. Besides, it’s actually Ferrari themselves that would be saying “we made a mistake” by hiring Kimi back, nothing bad for Kimi.

      1. If the Renault engine is stronger than the Ferrari one, he better stays at Lotus ;)

        1. We’re only talking likelyhoods here since noone has definitive answers for 2014. We all know it’s not just the engine that matters, as we can see from McLaren currently. And we all know the funding Ferrari has available to put into development, also we know the funding Lotus has available to develop their car. They’re doing good job considering, but can’t make the break to the very top without sufficient amount of money to invest in.

    4. And Briatore’s former job with Benetton was……..???

    5. @scuderia_fan85

      get some1 like Briatore…Domenicali doesn’t have a racing background, his area of expertise is business administration

      And that’s exactly what he is doing, his job consists of ensuring that every single euro is spent correctly as for technical decisions the responsible in the last 3 years is Pat Fry and now he will share the responsibility with James Allison
      Domenicali has been working for Ferrari for more than 22 years and that’s a lot even if you claim that he doesn’t a racing background 2 decades in a team like Ferrari are more than sufficient to acquire it , we can say that he is one of the dinosaurs of the paddock
      Briatore used to be Benetton commercial director he didn’t have a racing background by your logic he shouldn’t be in F1 in the first place, but even if Briatore is better than Stefano i prefer the latter because flavio doesn’t have any moral

      1. +1.

        He has more racing background than Briatore back in the days of Benetton

  11. I don’t understand why people think it will no longer be a 1-Man show at Ferrari. They will still support their ‘Lead Driver’ when the time arrives.

    Alonso has been the lead driver simply because Massa isn’t able to match him and goes out of contention before half the season.

    The Massa replacement has been long due and has to happen this year for Ferrari to have any chance at WDC/WCC.

    Kimi will have equal opportunities and I don’t think Alonso is going to suddenly lose his pace like the Space-Jam movie to play no-2 to Kimi either.

    1. The difference is, since 2009 (and ofc in Schumacher era also) Ferrari has been 1-man show from the first corner in the first practice. If Kimi goes there, the 1-man show will come into play somehwere in the mid season if there’s big difference in points to help the one who’s ahead to go for title.

      1. That is completely not true, just what people like to believe, and a great majority are forced to believe by repeating it time after time. Schumacher was too good for Barrichelo, period. Alonso as well for Massa. This second drivers just can not match their team mates. Ferrari will issue team orders at the point where there is no more sense to support the second driver. This is a team sport, no matter what. The team is far bigger than any driver, yes a good driver delivers the hard work of a team, but drivers without teams would be simply ordinary people, while the team without the good drivers could still exist and develop good drivers.

        1. Never said Alonso, or Schumacher for that matter, weren’t faster than their teammates, I agree with that. BUT they still have the upper hand by having #1 status via contract already. So to sum it up: 1) They’re faster than teammates 2) In a rare case where they aren’t faster, they got contract to protect them from being beaten in race by teammate. And the difference having that 2nd part is that the 1-man show starts from 1st corner.

        2. Ferrari will issue team orders at the point where there is no more sense to support the second driver

          Austria 2002.

          Ferrari have always had a number one and a number two. It’s how they work.

    2. Indeed.

      I say it about Red Bull, I think Seb is #1 because he earned it through performance. Some line-ups make it easier to run a #1 policy than others and Massa’s outing did not help in changing this policy at Ferrari.

  12. This is most welcome news about Kimi, if true. It goes against what I’ve thought Ferrari would do for 2014. Though an admirer of Ferrari as a team for their tradition and longevity, being a fan of a team that has 2 of the best drivers currently in F1 could become a possibility. It would be easy to respect the courage of their decision to have two very strong drivers side by side. I will root for Kimi wherever he drives, but it would be nice to see him in a car with great potential for 2014.

    1. I agree, I would regain my respect for Ferrari if they sign Kimi and provide him a good car

  13. I actually do hope Kimi goes to Ferrari. I’m worried that with lotus not having stable funding and no longer having James Allison(which Ferrari now has) they run the possibility of being well off the pace next year. I just want to see kimi in a competitive car in an equal environment, which is what kimi has stated he wants.

    1. @swindle94 – And your solution to this problem is to send him to Ferrari, a team that is (and always has been) built around one driver, and which has struggled to produce a competitive car for the past five years? Isn’t that a bit like trying to put out a fire with gasoline?

      1. Before the Schumacher era, I think they weren’t “built around one drive”.

        As I’m kinda young, is there an old F1 fan who can confirm that?

    2. Exactly. I really hope Kimi goes to Ferrari instead of staying at Lotus. The odds are better for Ferrari to do well in 2014 I’d think.

  14. Has anyone not shared my thought that Kimi might just leave F1 again before he becomes another former formula driver?

    1. Yeah, an exit did occur to me as one possible scenario. It would be an unpopular outcome with some fans, but I personally doubt it would be any great loss. The sport didn’t suffer when he left, and nor was it crying out for his return. And it would open up a seat for a promising new driver to fill, someone like Felipe Nasr.

    2. That’s always a possiblity, but that would only come in play if Ferrari isn’t an option and Kimi doesn’t believe Lotus would do well in 2014->. So there’s a chance for that, but not as high as some other options.

      1. I wrote this 4 days ago and believe its to far fetched.

        What I can’t comprehend is why everyone is so certain Kimi will even be in F1 next year. Call me silly, but I believe it is on his terms what he does as he already has a guaranteed drive. RedBull couldn’t meet his demands maybe? Lotus isn’t paying him (so the media portray) or giving him the package he requires to win, nor does it seem they can. Ferrari are prancing like the horse they are, not ready to upset the applecart that Alonso rides in or further break the inconvincing stride of Massa (they could just be gagging the horse of course), Mercedes seats are filled (unless Nico gets shunted) and no other team has anything worth considering for a driver of his pedigree. With the new regs next year, every team is considered a gamble anyhow. Will it be another unsuccessful return to F1 by a former champ? He can either leave now and pursue rallying, motocross or whatever he chooses or stay runner up and leave F1 again. We may have another vacancy before we know it! One thing is for sure, if Kimi stays it has to be worth his while.

        Basically if Ferrari don’t agree to “his” terms. He won’t go, will he stay with Lotus? Not according to the paddock rumours.

        1. Believe it’s NOT to far fetched. When are we going to get an edit function? :)

          1. You’re just restating your comment, adding nothing really. As I said, it’s a possibility, so agreeing to an extent with you, but not sure about the chances of that happening is greater than other options.

    3. @funkyf1 You certainly aren’t the only one who has thought that – it’s definitely a possibility. I mentioned it a while back and since then too https://www.racefans.net/2013/06/04/f1-fanatic-round-up-0406/#comment-1269341

  15. Didn’t Mark Hughes also confidently predict Raikkonen would go to Red Bull?

    1. I honestly think Kimi shut that option down himself.

  16. I really hope this happens. I think Alonso has learned a lot after that year at McLaren and I hope he has matured since then. I have no doubt Kimi would give him a run for his money and we really need another (potentially) top team with 2 top drivers for 2014. I can just imagine the epic battles they could have and all the tension if they are both in with a shout of the title come the end of the season.

    This is the absolute right thing for F1 and Massa should have been ejected instead of Kimi in the 1st place.

    Fingers, toes & dong crossed

  17. The question is not whether this is the right thing for Ferrari, rather, whether this is the right thing for Kimi. He had a stint with them, when he wasn’t comfortable for 2/3rds of his tenure. Now, the reason is either ‘they favoured Massa’ or ‘Kimi lost his mojo’ based on whether one believes the conspiracy theories or not. Knowing fully well that Alonso is much more politically adept that Massa ever was and also that the team is fully aligned with Alonso now (recent LdM outburst notwithstanding), I can’t see this going down well for Kimi from any angle.

    1. Then again, looking at the glass 1/3rd full, he did win a championship with them too.

      1. While Alonso fails to do so :)

      2. I do not agree with that line of reasoning. Agreed, it shows that, in 2007 he was right at the top with Alonso and Hamilton. But forgetting that he inherited a really good car which was fast out of the box and was competitive all through the season would be a mistake. Which cannot be said for Alonso.

  18. Ferrari could still the thunder right out of RBR.
    Even if RBR wins the next three WCCs they won’t be as LOVED and supported as Ferrari or even the newer Merc, because of poor decisions like choosing Ric.

    It just doesn’t inspire fanaticism.

  19. Pitwall to car 2
    “Kimi – Fernando is faster than you – do you understand”

    Car 2 to pitwall
    “If he is faster than why is he behind me”

    1. That would be bliss

  20. Everyone saying that Ferrari is a one man show, what about 2007-09? It only became a one man show then when one driver was clearly ahead later in the season, until then both Raikkonen or Massa appeared to be treated equally

    1. One-man show argument comes from the Schumacher, and now Alonso, era. So yes, the comment is true at this very date, but it doesn’t mean it’s been true every year since year 1950 when they started.

    2. what about 2007-09

      What about Austria 2002?

  21. You are all assuming it would be Kimi and Fernando. With Alonso b*tching about the car, and Ferrari’s obsession with Massa (do they sell lots in Brazil or something?) they might be bringing Kimi back as No1, not No2

  22. I’m sorry but I disagree with gorden because one thing which is when kimi was in ferrari it was the best team that year since he left it hasn’t been the best team. I’d like to see both in the same team and then see how kimi handles a ferrari that’s tough 2 handle

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