Sry if it's been posted before:

Quote from http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=126202 :

03 August 2006
According to Finnish tabloid Ilta-Sanomat Ferrari has taken his option on Kimi Raikkonen to race for the Italian team next season. The Finn would have signed a five-year-contract.

The story is based on the Finnish tabloid's reliable sources close to Kimi Raikkonen. According to the source Raikkonen's contract is worth around 160 million euro and thus see the 26-year-old earn 32 million euro a year.
Michael Schumacher said in Hockenheim he will announce his future plans in Monza and it is very likely that Raikkonen's plans will be announced shortly after Schumacher's decision was announced.

Lies, or not lies?

Quote from NotAnIllusion :

Sry if it's been posted before:



Lies, or not lies?

Have you seen that on IS(the paper)?
At least their webpage isn´t telling anything related to that, so I´m at least a bit sceptic still.

If Kimi stays with Mclaren then he's a dumbass, he has no luck in that car. I think he has stayed for so long because he thinks it will get better next year (but it never does) and he doesn't want someone else to benefit from his hard work.

He'll never be world champion in a Mclaren.

p.s. Maybe if he goes to Ferrari they can give him a personality as well.

Quote from garph :

p.s. Maybe if he goes to Ferrari they can give him a personality as well.

LOL

The only question that remains, if he is going to Ferrari does that mean Michael is on his way out or will they team Kimi up with Michael? Must admit i would like to see Michael and Kimi together. Would be some team!

mad

I highly doubt that.
If they really signed Kimi, then they probably know that MS will quit.

Ilta-Sanomat is a crappy paper.

All the media speculation seems to be heading towards a Schumey and Kimi super team LINK

Would be cool, I've allways had a small tifoso inside me
But this speculation has been going on forever.

Quote from Blackout :

Ilta-Sanomat is a crappy paper.

Second that.

If Schumi wins the championship this year (which seems to be quite possible/ is likely even), I'm quite certain that he will retire - which then would offer Kimi a nice position as the no1. man at Ferrari.
Alonso is coming to McLaren and I highly doubt that Kimi wants to be the second pilot when that happens.

I'm fairly sure Michael already signed until 2008, and Massa too.

i cant see schumacher and kimi being in the same team, the ferrari tactics have always been to have a second driver supporting the first drivers title bid, and i cant see kimi playing second fiddle to MSC.

Quote from Janezki :

Second that.

If Schumi wins the championship this year (which seems to be quite possible/ is likely even), I'm quite certain that he will retire - which then would offer Kimi a nice position as the no1. man at Ferrari.
Alonso is coming to McLaren and I highly doubt that Kimi wants to be the second pilot when that happens.

Yeah, i think the same will happen, If Michael wins he will call it a day in which case we will see Kimi at Ferrari as No 1 hopefully partnered with Mark Webber. I'd love to se Webber in a Ferrari. Would feel sorry for Massa as he has been doing a Stella job of late... maybe Massa to McLaren to partner Alonso..

Quote from Madman_CZ :

Yeah, i think the same will happen, If Michael wins he will call it a day in which case we will see Kimi at Ferrari as No 1 hopefully partnered with Mark Webber. I'd love to se Webber in a Ferrari. Would feel sorry for Massa as he has been doing a Stella job of late... maybe Massa to McLaren to partner Alonso..

I reckon we may see Webber at Renault yet.

Quote from Gunn :

I reckon we may see Webber at Renault yet.

You're probably right - Briatori is his manager

Looks like Massa will end up at BMW Sauber as JV has been given the boot.

So that would leave Kimi with only Ferarri as a real option outside of Mclaren. I bet Michael wins the championship this year and then retires. If not then he may well carry on and both drivers have stated they would not be put off by being partnered by each other - but then they would say that.

Quote from garph :

If Kimi stays with Mclaren then he's a dumbass, he has no luck in that car. I think he has stayed for so long because he thinks it will get better next year (but it never does) and he doesn't want someone else to benefit from his hard work.

He'll never be world champion in a Mclaren.

p.s. Maybe if he goes to Ferrari they can give him a personality as well.

He's clearly been told by Mclaren/his manager to smile in interviews. I've noticed recently little smiles and laughs stuck on to the end of his sentences rather uncomfortably it seems.

But Kimi has a strong personality - it's just the personality of a cyborg! He monotone delivery makes me laugh every time I see him.

I wonder what was behind JV's sacking (well not yet) but doesnt appear that he will race again this year. I mean he has done an OK job considering and his team mate Heidfeld has been nowhere!

I want to see JV in a fast car for the last time, he has been unlucky with teams afte the 1997 win.

Or maybe retire and concentrate on his solo musical career...

I think i've said this before but I have a family member who works with McLaren mechanicks and they have been absolutely adamant that Kimi is going to Ferrari since before the season started.

Despite what I have said about Ferrari and the Ferrari Supports Club (also known as the FIA) and the numerous conspiracy theories about their rulings, I dont actually mind the Ferrari team - and infact used to quite like them before that cheating German schmuck joined them.

I think Ferrari would be a good move for Kimi, he's more rugged with the car than a lot of drivers and the Ferrari is already bullet proof, so one of the cars strength will cater for Kimi's key weekness. This could be what makes him a championship competitor, i'd go as far as saying he'd have to be pretty dire not to win the title next year, if indeed he does end up at Ferrari as anticipated.

Quote from Gentlefoot :

Looks like Massa will end up at BMW Sauber as JV has been given the boot.

Apparently Massa has signed a two year contract with the Prancing Horse (as has Michael). I suppose if Kimi's rumours are true that he will be going there after Schumi has gone, which could be two years if Micahel sticks around until the end of his contract. Massa has been a test driver at Ferrari for some time and knows how to set up a car for Michael. He also understands quite a bit about Michal's driving style. I bet he doesn't cost a lot either, so Ferrari perhaps have chosen a good man to ride shotgun...

Quote from Gunn :

Apparently Massa has signed a two year contract with the Prancing Horse (as has Michael). I suppose if Kimi's rumours are true that he will be going there after Schumi has gone, which could be two years if Micahel sticks around until the end of his contract. Massa has been a test driver at Ferrari for some time and knows how to set up a car for Michael. He also understands quite a bit about Michal's driving style. I bet he doesn't cost a lot either, so Ferrari perhaps have chosen a good man to ride shotgun...

They might save money on Massa's wages but he costs them a fortune in smashed up Ferrari's. Having said that more recently he has become much less dangerous.

Quote from Becky Rose :

I think Ferrari would be a good move for Kimi, he's more rugged with the car than a lot of drivers and the Ferrari is already bullet proof, so one of the cars strength will cater for Kimi's key weekness. This could be what makes him a championship competitor, i'd go as far as saying he'd have to be pretty dire not to win the title next year, if indeed he does end up at Ferrari as anticipated.

Yes, Kimi overdriving the car again, yeah totally yes sure whynot. Yeah, must be the same thing with Pedro because the car let him down too. You are just trying to dig up stypid thing because only thing you got is Button, and we saw him overtaken nicely again...and by Kimi, who seems to be the only one at the moment to do overtakes. Just cut the crap please.

Quote from Gentlefoot :

They might save money on Massa's wages but he costs them a fortune in smashed up Ferrari's. Having said that more recently he has become much less dangerous.

Yeah, Massa seems to be learning how to keep a cool head and he is fast.

Quote from Blackout :

Yes, Kimi overdriving the car again, yeah totally yes sure whynot. Yeah, must be the same thing with Pedro because the car let him down too. You are just trying to dig up stypid thing because only thing you got is Button, and we saw him overtaken nicely again...and by Kimi, who seems to be the only one at the moment to do overtakes. Just cut the crap please.

Chill bro! I'm a massive Kimi and Mclaren fan and it didn't get that kind of a reaction from me.

Go and have a soak with some nice radox mate.

And Im totally chill, all the time It's just every time, every single time Becky must do that.

Quote from Blackout :

And Im totally chill, all the time It's just every time, every single time Becky must do that.

I know what she means though. Kimi does take a lot of kerb. That's what makes him so fast. In the days when Macca were dominant it was because the car took the kerbs so well. Oh yeah, and back then Ferrari were having gearbox reliability problems.

But I wish Kimi would stay at Mclaren - they are my local team and in my view Kimi is the fastest driver in F1 even if he is a car breaker. I'm sure there will be a Mclaren resurgence midway through next season once everyone is on the Bridge-es-stones (as Fisi calls them) and Mclaren start to get familier with them.

And switching teams comes at a cost. As a driver you have to get used to who's who and the nuances of the team. If Kimi goes to Ferrari he'll be on the back foot for the first half of the season. A perfect example is Rubens at Honda this year. It has taken him half the season to adjust to the change in car/team.

So whatever Kimi does he will be on the back foot for the first half of 07 and probably still won't be world champion by the end of it. Sad but true.

I'm certain that after 15 seasons without a world class team mate Schumacher is not suddenly going to feel the need to accept a challenge like a true sportsman and drive beside Raikkonen in his probably final season. The rumours of Kimi signing for Ferrari along with the fact that Ross Brawn is taking a year off are very clear indications that MS is retiring. With Brawn and MS gone Ferrari may actually be able to operate as a two-car racing team again.

Other interesting developments for next year are Wurz confirmed at Williams, Webber probably at Renault and a seat at McLaren to be filled by either Paffett or Hamilton, both drivers I am quite exited about and who have the potential to finally give you Brits something to cheer about again.

Add to that no more tyre war and no more traction control and things are looking a little bit better for F1. (not that it could be any worse than now)