The basis of the holy alliance Kimi-Fernando consists of five key points. Very simple, almost trivial.
1) NO HIERARCHY. It is out of the question. Raikkonen is a world champion, he has two excellent seasons in Lotus, so it would have been unthinkable to invite him to play the part of … Massa. The Finnish and Spanish will both enjoy the same treatment from the team.
2) TEAM FIRST. It is of course only on paper, that Alonso and Raikkonen won’t animate the same style like Button-Perez this year. Both agreed that they would never hurt Ferrari’s interests. A high source from Maranello told me: ‘All the drivers are human beings, but not all pilots have the experience Kimi and Fernando has. Since they are now veterans in the circus it would be absurd if they behaved like jocks looking for visibility’.
3) I HELP YOU IF… If in the second half of the season one of the two would be hunting for the title, then the other one has to be at the service of the first one, without claiming status as ‘first driver’. This was a fundamental condition during the development of the negotiations. It was accepted without a flinch by both Fernando and Kimi.
4) COOPERATION. There will be no ‘walls’ inside the team. The Spanish and Finnish share technical information, collaborating without reticences. Andrea Stella will give decisive contribution since he has been a close partner of Raikkonen in Maranello and he has built an excellent relationship with Alonso in these four years.
5) LUCK. Oh well, in life it takes forever when you try to combine the Alpha (not Romeo) and the Omega (not the ‘clock).
Good Sunday
Alonso probably stays in Ferrari, Fiat is going to sponsor his cycling team
16.9.2013 – 12:02:33
Fernando Alonso bought a few weeks ago a Spanish cycling team called Euskatel-Euskad. Alonso has negotiated funding for the team from outside in order to secure that it doesn’t go bankrupt. According to El Periodico -magazine Alonso would get Fiat as his team’s main sponsor.
Alonso’s talks with Fiat probably mean that he is willing to continue in Ferrari, although the team hired Kimi Räikkönen. Alonso opposed strongly to Räikkönen being hired and he negotiated with both Red Bull and Lotus in July. No contract was made though.
Alonso’s contract with Ferrari ends in season 2016. Räikkönen’s contract ends in season 2015. Both contracts have of course termination clauses.
" title="there" /> here is more about Kimi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpPL7Mh6HDw I love how Kimi says @2:00 "I still don't have a contract, you know?" " title="ha" /> " title="red" />
ZitatKimi Raikkonen: money prompted Lotus exit and Ferrari F1 switch Kimi Raikkonen has revealed that money was the key reason why he turned his back on Lotus to join Ferrari for the 2014 Formula 1 season.
The Finn had been open with Lotus in demanding financial guarantees for the future if he was to commit, against a background of delayed salary payments.
Speaking to the media for the first time since it was confirmed that he was leaving the team for Ferrari in 2014, Raikkonen said it was the cash situation that prompted his switch.
"The reasons why I left from the team are purely on the money side, and the things I haven't got, my salary," said Raikkonen. "That is an unfortunate thing."
When asked if there was anything Lotus could have done in the end to convince him to stay, he said: "There were a lot of things, I am sure they know what there are.
"It is hard to say which way it would have gone if it would have happened, but I am very happy [with my decision]."
AUTOSPORT understands that while Raikkonen has received his basic salary, the issue is over performance-based bonus payments. Although some rival drivers have suggested that the partnership of Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso could lead to trouble, the 2007 world champion doubts there will be any issues.
"I don't see the reason why it will not work," Raikkonen said. "We are all old enough to know what we are doing and the team is working to make sure, if there is something, that we can talk it through.
"It is not like we are 20-year-old guys any more. I might be wrong, but time will tell.
"I am pretty sure all things will be good. For sure there will be hard fight on the race circuit, and sometimes things go wrong, but I am pretty sure it will be OK."
Raikkonen also thinks he will have little trouble adapting to life back at Maranello - as he dismissed suggestions he will need to ramp up his work ethic.
"I know the team, and I know the people, although obviously there are some new people and more have left since I was there," he said.
"I don't think it will be too difficult to go there and do well. The car is different, and the most difficult thing is the cars [in 2014] are different. Whoever makes the best car will make the most out of it."
When asked if he was ready to spend more time at Maranello to push the team forwards, he said: "There are lots of stories, but I think we did pretty good in this team [Lotus] from where we started and I don't see reason why we should not be able to produce a very good car next year and keep improving it.
"It is a new challenge for all the teams but I have no worries about these things."
I need to add, I don't like the way media are addressing this news (Italian media, even worst). Making Kimi look like he only cares about money. If you want to really know what he meant, please read the thursday press conference in the Singapure thread.
ZitatPeople in Maranello were happy to hear about Räikkönen coming back
F1 | Turun Sanomat 00:24
– There is a very positive atmosphere in Maranello after the Kimi-news. As a matter of fact the team was very sorry four years ago when we learned Kimi was leaving Ferrari, Andrea Stella tells Turun Sanomat.
– Kimi left a really strong picture of his driving in endseason 2009. He gave us a long chain of podiums, even one victory although we knew how limited the resources of that year's car offered him.
– Kimi is very much welcomed back to the team, Stella emphasizes.
Stella will most probably continue as Alonso's race engineer, becasue Räikkönen's plan is to bring his long-time trusted man Mark Slade to Ferrari.
Rob Smedley has negotiated with Williams.
Massa again is promised a wide sponsor-package which will help him fill the seat in Lotus. However the main candidate for the seat is Nico Hülkenberg.
When Luca di Montezemolo compared Kimi Räikkönen to Niki Lauda, it was the best that could happen at this stage of the mega return.
Those Italian reporters who have followed Ferrari's happenings for a long time, they told me that putting up Räikkönen beside Lauda underlines that it was especially di Montezemolo who wanted Kimi back in Maranello.
In public di Montezemolo claims that he only carried out Stefano Domenicali's wishes, but the latest tracks lead straight to him.
When di Montezemolo worked as Ferrari's sporting director, Lauda pulled out his greatest victories and most spectacular tantrums.
Lauda is both the most beloved and hated driver by di Montezemolo - just like Räikkönen also is.
Enzo Ferrari wanted to get rid of Lauda before his WDC in 1977 was sealed and his departure from Ferrari was even more electrified than Räikkönen's was 32 years later.
On Thursday I had once again an exclusive interview with Räikkönen. This time the man's body language confirmed in the best way just how big relief it was to get the contract-matters to fall in place. Kimi emphasized several times that he felt good about how strongly Ferrari's management proved they wanted him back in the team.
A year ago the mega move was Lewis Hamilton going from McLaren to Mercedes. Now it's Räikkönen's return to Ferrari.
Since Mercedes has so far praised Hamilton and Nico Rosberg as the serie's best duo, it will be fascinating to hear on Saturday in the press conference if Ross Brawn ranks Ferrari's champion duo before them...
Rosberg assured on Thursday that his close co-work with Hamilton brings better and better results. Ferrari-management's biggest challenge is to get their two ambitious drivers to fiercly pull together.
Turun Sanomat, Singapore
HEIKKI KULTA
ZitatTS-special: Räikkönen will end his career in Ferrari
F1 | Turun Sanomat 00:30
Seven years ago Kimi Räikkönen told Turun Sanomat that he will end his F1-career in Ferrari. His first contract with Ferrari had just been announced.
Now we talk about the same matter on Singapore paddock.
Do you go back to Ferrari to end your career there?
– Probably yes - although nobody ever knows about these things. I don't think that I will make a new contract no matter what happens in the future. I start to be of that age, Räikkönen.
Four years ago Ferrari paid Räikkönen out. If you would had raced in 2010, would that had been your last F1-season?
– It's difficult to say, but 2009 could as well had been my last season.
– A couple years ago I wanted to put myself in a direction where I can fight for the WDC for real. That was the main reason for the 2-year contract with Lotus. Back then many didn't believe that we would make it at all.
– I am grateful to Lotus for getting the opportunity to come back with them. I wanted to drive for the WDC with them too. Last year and this season we got close, but it just didn't happen when a few bad races ruined my chances.
– Ferrari has big resources and the ability to build good cars and good engnes. Since it's impossible to say who makes it best with next year's new regulations, it's best to be in a place with best budgets.
Will it help you when James Allison and Dirk de Beer also moved to Ferrari from Lotus?
– I'm sure it will also benefit me, but the biggest advantage comes from them being really good people who can definitely build good cars. I would see it as a huge thing for the whole team.
Ferrari's wish decided the switch
Once the big move has now been made, how relieved are you?
– It doesn't change my feelings one way or another. It was an easy decision. I know the team and I know the people.
Steve Robertson said yesterday to TS that Räikkönen had deemed Ferrari as a good place after meeting their representatives.
– I can't deny that it gave me a good feeling. They showed that they really want me. I know what I get from there and how the team works. Those are the most important factors in this decision.
– I also know that they are happy to have me back. The last time we raced together in 2009 we didn't have the strongest car, but we still got results with it. That made me happy.
No grudges
Then what about having Fernando Alonso as your teammate?
– It doesn't change anything in racing itself. Now we both have exactly same cars for the first time. We both strive for the same big thing, but I don't believe that it will cause any problems. I think both of us are old enough to work through conflicts, should they appear at some point.
– Others seem to be most concerned about it. Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but most stories are made up by someone who has never worked in the team, he says something and others cling on to it.
– We both have to do our job as well as possible. After that we see who is ahead. The biggest challenge for the team is to build a strong car, which both of us start to make more competitive together.
You have raced with Alonso ever since karting. Is there any grudge between the two of you?
– I can't remember that there would ever had been anything. And if there has been then we have talked it through immediately.
Alonso is your most fierce teammate since Juan Pablo Montoya. Which one is tougher?
– They can't be compared. We'll see how it goes. I don't have the energy to speculate over those kind of things since it leads nowhere.
Is your contract giving you the same conditions as Alonso?
– From what I understand, yes.
Then what about Alonso's political side?
– I don't know if he is political or not. I don't care about politics myself and I don't know how it's done. We win together as a team. That's what is most important for everyone.
Your opinion about Alonso
– He is a double WDC, a very good driver. I only know him from the track, but I believe that we both benefit when we push each other and develop the car together, Räikkönen said.
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