F1

Raikkonen back to F1 with Renault

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  • #127790
    Guilherme
    Member

    From Autosport:

    In fact, AUTOSPORT understands that the team is so bullish about its financial prospects that team owner Gerard Lopez has informed senior figures inside the team that he may sound out Kimi Raikkonen in the next few months about whether the Finn is interested in a return to F1 with Renault.

    My two favourite drivers at Renault?! If that ever comes to happen, I’m afraid I’ll bid farewell to Ferrari…

    #141941
    Steph90
    Member

    Ferrari could sign Jacques and Badoer and sack Felipe and Fernando and I’d still support them personally.

    I don’t think Kimi will return to F1 ever. Apparently he’s done more PR days (one more) this year than he would ahve with Mclaren. If that’s true then it just shows how much he didn’t care for F1 anymore. I can’t help but think that Kimi’s demands were too high and as such, were the perfect excuse he needed to leave F1. He said he was too young to retire full stop, he kept putting off decisions and decisions that it makes me think if he really did want a seat he would have gone for it.

    Renault have been good this year but who knows what will happen next year esp with the new tyres.

    Boullier has also said he’s willing to build the team around Kubica.

    I just think Kimi’s done with F1. He’s got the championship and he doesn’t need or particularly want it anymore. He actually smiles in the WRC too.

    #141942
    Guilherme
    Member

    lol, I’m skeptical about it too Steph, I don’t believe he is ever coming back to F1. I just found strange that a team owner would talk about sounding out a particular driver. It can open room for a lot of speculation!

    #141943
    Scribe
    Participant

    Boullier is right to at least sound out Kimi whose always said he might come back next year, but I think Kimi’s just saying it because he can’t quite let go, even though he probably isn’t interested in returning to drive.

    Petrov’s almost certainly going, Renault’s been pulling in sponsers left right and center an his results haven’t been that good, they don’t need his money, they’ve got Kubica to sell as a possible all time great despite his unmarketable face, it’ll most likley be Glock or Sutil in the Renault next year because the points they’ll provide will get them far more money come seasons end. An neither has shown anywhere near the speed required to match Kubica over a season in their careers so far. Renault will be a focused one man team centered around Kubica, Raikkonen probably not worth the trouble.

    #141944
    Polishboy808
    Participant

    Anybody else heard about the major sponsorship deal that may take place between renault and mastercard. Some sites say that the team will be renamed Mastercard Renault F1 Team, so it has to be big. It would confirm Kubicas ride with renault next year, and maybe even Raikonnens.

    #141945
    US_Peter
    Participant

    While I don’t hold out a lot of hope of Kimi returning, it would be great if he did! If Vettel takes the championship and Villeneuve gets a seat with the 13th team, we’ have 7 world champions on the grid next year!

    #141946
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I’d be very wary about signing Mastercard as your title sponsor. We all know what happened last time…

    #141947
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I agree with Steph too.

    We don’t get much WRC coverage here in Australia but I was watching a highlights show and in an interview with Raikkonen he was pretty much saying how he enjoyed the challenges of driving rally cars far more then F1. He’s also commented in the past that he prefers the far more relaxed atmosphere.

    But it would be good to see him back!

    #141948
    hitchcockm00
    Participant

    Edit: Logged into the wrong account again :|

    #141949
    Mark Hitchcock
    Participant

    Right account this time…

    If he is going to come back to F1, I don’t think it’ll be next year.

    The way I see it, this year has been a practice year for Kimi in the WRC. He was never going to be right up there with the big boys in his first season. So it would make sense for him to stay in for at least another year to apply what he’s learned and start to be competitive.

    I don’t think he would go to rallying without the ambition of winning at least a couple of events.

    Plus, as Steph rightly points out, he seems so much more content and relaxed there.

    New challenge, seemingly more enjoyable, less PR, less scrutiny…what reason does he have to leave?

    #141950
    wasiF1
    Participant

    I wonder whether Kimi will race with Renault? Even if he does then that will be great. Together with Kubica this will be a team of two of the most natural talented driver line up. The only problem that Renault may face is that none of their driver is too good in talking. I think the engine go the Renault car will make more sound then their mouth. It will be great.

    #141951
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    True Mark.

    I was just saying this at work the other day – He’ll stay in WRC until he wins (or at least gets close to) a championship.

    #141952
    BasCB
    Participant

    I just found an article on the dutch website Formula1.nl where Pirelli is thinking out loud about asking Räikkönen to do their tyre testing instead! (in dutch:http://www.formule1.nl/articleview/13463 ).

    Both Pirelli and Kimi’s manager deny actually having had any talk about this together, bud does not rule it out altogether (he does inform, that they are not talking to any F1 teams at the moment, but that’s only to be expected 8-) ).

    I think it would be a very good choice (Kimi is driving on Pirelli rubber in the WRC), although i am not too certain he is a good development driver. But certainly better than using Mercedes testdriver Heidfeld.

    #141953
    HB uber Mod
    Participant

    “Petrov’s almost certainly going, Renault’s been pulling in sponsers left right and center an his results haven’t been that good, they don’t need his money, they’ve got Kubica to sell as a possible all time great despite his unmarketable face”

    What are you on about? Kubica has a great marketing face [for radio]!

    #141954
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    This article http://www.f1traction.com/html/news_100701.html also say the Raikkonen to Renault rumour is cold – ice cold. Cold as the icecream in the Ferrari pit.

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