ZitatKimi Raikkonen: “The decision will not be an easy one…” Kimi Raikkonen insists that he has still not decided what he wants to do next year, despite the confirmation that Mark Webber’s seat is available.
Raikkonen is widely regarded as Webber’s most likely replacement, although Lotus is still trying to hang on to him.
“I still don’t have an answer for what will happen next year, it hasn’t changed since the last two races,” he said. “Obviously people will be talking more about chances but it doesn’t really change what I will do next year or what my decisions are, even if there is obviously an open place.
“I have no contract, which is normal in F1. I have nothing to tell people unless there is something certain on paper, and then I will tell immediately because for me it’s much easier, everybody stops asking the same question. Until I have something I can’t answer.”
“I think whatever the decision will be will not be an easy one. It’s never easy. It’s not the first time that there are different options on the table, then you take the one that you thing is right for you at the moment. It’s hard to say if it’s the right or wrong decision, but then you have to live with it, whatever it is.”
Regarding the prospect of having Sebastian Vettel as a team mate, he said: “I have no problem to race with anybody. I’ve never been in a position to choose who I drive with, so it doesn’t change anything. If would happen obviously it would be more easy than some other years.”
Meanwhile he admitted it would be difficult to leave Lotus.
“It’s been perfect, without them I wouldn’t be back in F1. For sure they also got something out of it, so no complaints. Obviously there’s certain things that have to improve, but I’ve had a great time with the team so far and that’s why whatever the decision will be will be difficult.”
He also suggested that it was not certain that he would be in F1: “Until I have a contract there is always the option that I will not race. There’s a long time from now to the beginning of next year, a lot of things can happen in life that make the decision for you, and you might not be racing. But I think that there’s a bigger chance that it will be F1 next year for me.”
ZitatRäikkönen reveals: Options are Red Bull and Lotus
Julkaistu 27.06.2013 17:28 Jani Merimaa ja Oskari Saari
Kimi Räikkönen revealed to MTV3 on Thursday that his options for next season are either Lotus or Red Bull.
Räikkönen admits openly that he is interested in Red Bull.
- It would be pretty difficult not to be interested in a team who has won both championships for many years in a row. There would be something wrong with you if you wouldn't be interested, but it doesn't mean that I wouldn't be interested in continuing with Lotus. One always tries to get the best possible car. It's the only way to do well here, Räikkönen told MTV3.
Räikkönen's contract negotiations for next season are ongoing at the moment.
- We have negotiated with some people. At some point we have to start making decisions, but we will tell only after they are made. It's easier for me too when everybody stops asking questions. For as long as there is no contract it's difficult to say anything about those things, Räikkönen said.
The team decision might come soon.
- There is no schedule. I'd rather do it sooner than later.
Räikkönen wants every small detail in order before signing the contract.
- There are many small things that have to be just like I want. They decide more than any other matters. I have been for so long in these circles that I know what I want and what I am satisfied with. A lot of small things that might sound stupid to some, but they can decide the whole matter.
ZitatRäikkönen is facing a ten times more difficult decision
27.06.2013 18:45 Erkki Mustakari erkki.mustakari(at)mtv3.fi
Kimi Räikkönen admits that the choice between Lotus and Red Bull is difficult.
- Whatever I decide it's not ging to be an easy decision. It's never easy. This isn't the first time I have several possibilities to continue in F1. When the time for making the decision comes, one naturally hopes that it's the right and best one. It's difficult to say if it will be right or wrong. You can only make a decision and hope it's the right one.
- Coming to this team was a perfect thing. Without Lotus I wouldn't had come back to F1. Naturally Lotus has also benefitted somewhat positively from their decision. I know that there are still things in which we have to improve our performance ability. I have enjoyed being in this team very much. That is why no matter what decision I make, it is going to be difficult. We know, both the team and I, what we should do in order to improve our car's performance ability, Kimi said.
It looks as if you in this team had freedom to do the things you want to do. How important is that detail when you make a decision about your future?
- It's one of the key factors when I make the decision. Firstly and mostly I want the car to be good along with a few other matters including this job. Matters not related to F1 aren't that important, but I have been in this job for so long that I know exactly what I want. And if some things aren't the way they should be, then it's more difficult to make the decision.
Are you in F1 next season for sure?
- I said that I have a few other options to continue my career in this sport. It's still a long time before next season and many things in my own life might affect my decision. Who knows what happens? However the possibility of me continuing next season is big.
Was your attitude the same when you came back a year and a half ago?
- I have never lost my interest to compete. F1 had changed only a little during the 2-year break. Nowadays there are perhaps more press-jobs and other obligations, but they all belong to this entity.
When taking into consideration all the changes that come next season, how difficult is it to make the right decision?
- It's ten times more difficult now than it was earlier. If everything would continue like before, then the decision would be easier to make. They are already now talking that a certain engine (Mercedes Benz) would be more efficient than the other engines. If I would know what happens in the future then the decision would be easier to make, but I don't know. Whatever my decision is I have to live with it.
So in other words what makes your decision more difficult, is that nobody can say for certain which team succeeds best with the whole package?
- That is true, but Lotus and Red Bull use same engines and it makes it easier to decide between these two teams. You can't fail badly with Red Bull when seeing what kind of a car their drivers have had the last years. At least I can't go badly wrong when thinking of failure.
What do you expect from this weekend?
- What happened in the last two races didn't tell the truth about our performance ability. Monaco was screwed because of the crash (Sergio Perez) and we had problems with the brakes in Montreal. Without those we would had scored a lot more points. If we get everything to work normally then we will be much stronger here. Hopefully also the changes made to the car help us get better results.
- Others can also run into different problems and then the situation can improve quickly. Fortunately there are still races left, but the fact is that we can't afford to lose a lot of points to Vettel and Alonso, Kimi pondered.
Zitat Kimi Raikkonen has re-iterated that his options for the 2014 season remain open Finn admits, however, that he has already held "small talks" with Red Bull
By Mike Wise at Silverstone. Last Updated: June 27, 2013 8:38pm
Kimi Raikkonen: Hinted that Lotus and Red Bull are his 2014 options
Kimi Raikkonen has re-iterated that he will consider all his options for next season but hinted that the choice lies between Lotus and Red Bull.
The Finn was very much a man in demand in the Silverstone paddock on Thursday following Mark Webber's surprise announcement that he is quitting Red Bull and F1 at the end of the season to race sportscars for Porsche.
Raikkonen first became linked with a move to the World Champions in the wake of Webber's dust-up with team-mate Sebastian Vettel at the Malaysian Grand Prix. He is currently racing on a one-year contract with Lotus and despite maintaining that he's happy there, the 2007 World Champion also expressed his desire to race the fastest car he possibly can.
"I still don't have an answer for what'll happen next year," Raikkonen said. "It hasn't changed since the last two races. Obviously people will be talking more about the chances but it hasn't really changed what I will do next year or what my decisions are. They're still open.
"Obviously I have to discuss with certain people, but that doesn't mean there's no secret. I have no contract; this is normal in Formula 1. I've nothing for people until there's something certain on paper.
"I will tell people immediately then, so everyone stops asking the same questions."
However, in an interview with Simon Lazenby broadcast on The F1 Show later, Raikkonen revealed that he had already held "small talks" with Red Bull.
"It might be an option and we have to see what happens. Obviously I don't have a contract for next year and that's no secret, but I would say Lotus or them is the only options," he added.
Asked about the prospect of racing an Adrian Newey-designed car, the 33-year-old said: "You always want to try and get the best car. They've shown they have the best package overall for the last few years."
Raikkonen admitted that any decision would be difficult. He is settled at Lotus, who not only have provided him with a race-winning car but also the relaxed environment he prefers.
Vettel - Webber relationship 'hyped'
That wouldn't necessarily be the case at Red Bull, whose image as free-wheeling, fun-loving, upstart mavericks has faded in direct proportion to their on-track success.
"I think whatever the decision will be, it won't be easy," Raikkonen mused. "It's never easy and it's not the first time I've had different options on the table. Then you take the one that's right for you at that moment, so it's hard to say whether it's the right or wrong decision. But you have to live with it.
"Only you can make the decision yourself."
Raikkonen, currently third in the Drivers' Championship, admitted that Lotus have looked after him well since he returned to F1 following a two-year hiatus during which he rallied and even had a go at racing NASCAR.
"It's been perfect. Without them, I obviously wouldn't be back in Formula 1. They've also got something out of it. I have no complaints," he said.
"Obviously there are certain things that have to improve but I've had a great time with the team so far, so whatever the decision will be, it'll be difficult.
"I think we both know, me and the team, what we have to do to make things go forward."
On the subject of being handed a free rein, Raikkonen said: "It's one of the key points. Obviously you want to have a good car, but there are lots of small things that have to be right for yourself.
"They might sound like stupid, small things but I've been long enough in the business to know what I want and if those things aren't right then that decision might be different."
Webber's time spent partnering Vettel has, of course, had its fractious moments, not least the latter's decision to defy team orders and pass the Australian for victory in Malaysia earlier this season.
Raikkonen, however, said that the 25-year-old German would rank fairly high in his list of preferred team-mates.
"I have no problem to race with anybody. I've never been in a position to choose who I drive with, so it hasn't changed anything. But if it happens, it would probably be easier than some of the others," he added.
Zitat Mark Webber: Sebastian Vettel row not reason for F1 exit By Andrew Benson Chief F1 writer
Red Bull driver Mark Webber says his decision to leave Formula 1 at the end of the season had nothing to do with the Malaysia team orders controversy.
Team-mate Sebastian Vettel ignored team orders to pass Webber and win the Malaysian Grand Prix in March.
But Webber said joining Porsche in sports cars had always been his "personal plan and I've stuck to it".
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said Webber had not informed him until just before the announcement.
But Webber made it clear he had kept Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, with whom he has always done his contracts directly, in the loop throughout.
"Dietrich has been completely up to speed with my thinking in the last six to eight months," Webber said, "so Dietrich has been absolutely on board and on message with where I've been at.
"He's certainly encouraged me not to rush my decision when I approached him earlier in the season.
"I think basically all the right channels and avenues that we went through to get the message across as subtly as we could, in terms of the announcement, was done in the right way."
Webber flew to Salzburg to inform Mateschitz of his decision in person on Wednesday before Porsche, for whom Webber will drive in sportscar racing next year, issued its media release.
BBC Sport broke the news a few minutes before Porsche made their announcement.
Horner complained that the notice Webber had given him was "a bit short".
"I had a call from Mark this morning at about nine o'clock, and that was the first I knew about it. I spoke with him and he said he had reached his decision," he said on Thursday.
"He obviously decided to take things into his own hands.
"I think the guys in the factory are a bit more disappointed that they read it on the internet than heard something direct, but that is the way these things are sometimes."
Webber said in a news conference at the British Grand Prix on Thursday that he would miss the competition of the best drivers.
"We all strive to get to the pinnacle and I've been with JB (Jenson Button), Lewis (Hamilton), Fernando (Alonso), these guys for a long time, racing."
Webber added in an interview published on his website: "I realise F1 is seen as the absolute pinnacle of motorsport and I've worked with some incredible people, in particular (Red Bull chief technical officer) Adrian Newey.
"I've driven in some of the toughest and most challenging conditions and circuits, and against some incredible drivers, which I'll continue to do until the end of the year.
"Will I miss some of this? Yes, of course, but time doesn't stand still for anyone and it's time to move on to my next challenge."
Webber will compete in the World Endurance Championship, the centrepiece of which is the famous Le Mans 24 Hours race.
He has previously raced at Le Mans, taking pole position in 1998 in a car shared with Germans Klaus Ludwig and Bernd Schneider, but retired after just 19 laps.
The following year, he suffered two accidents in which his Mercedes took off as a result of a design flaw, after which he said he would not return to Le Mans again.
But he admits he has since reconsidered his view, and also alluded to the death of Danish driver Allan Simonsen in the race last weekend.
"I accept that motor racing is dangerous but Le Mans is one of the most famous circuits in the world and to be honest, I still see it as unfinished business and I want to do well there," Webber said.
"Le Mans can be cruel as we've just seen, but it's incredibly rewarding and that's part of the allure."
He said he had options to stay in F1 but "since F1 as a category wasn't on my radar for 2014, they weren't a consideration for me".
Webber, who has raced for Red Bull in F1 since 2007, said he would remain "tightly inside the Red Bull family".
Mateschitz said Webber would continue to be backed by Red Bull, including wearing its logos on his helmet into next year.
ZitatDimi PAPADOPOULOS @f1enigma 12m RT @espnf1: Christian Horner admits to Sky that the shortlist for who replaces Webber consists only of Raikkonen, Ricciardo and Vergne #F1
Christian Horner admits that Kimi Raikkonen is top of a three-man shortlist to replace Mark Webber at Red Bull.
With Webber having announced his decision to leave Formula One at the end of the season yesterday, Raikkonen was immediately linked to the vacant seat at Red Bull. Horner said there were realistically only three drivers in the running for the drive, with Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne also on the team's radar, but he admitted he still needed more time to be convinced by the Toro Rosso drivers.
"We want the fastest line-up that we can have and Kimi obviously is an attractive option," Horner told Sky Sports. "The youngsters are attractive as well; we want to take our time, evaluate the options available to us but the reality is it's probably between those three.
"Our position is we want to put the best two drivers in the car. If one of those two youngsters merits the position purely on merit then he'll be the guy to be sitting in the car next year. Our position is that we want to field the best two drivers that we possibly can; Sebastian came from Toro Rosso - he was an obvious choice to take - Jean-Eric and Daniel have shown some really good pace at different points during this year and we just need a little bit more time to evaluate them against a proven act like Kimi Raikkonen."
Horner also said it was unlikely Paul di Resta would be a candidate for the seat.
"You've got to look at everything and everyone that's available. I'm not sure what Paul's situation is but as I say I think our focus will primarily be on those three guys."
Zitat"We all strive to get to the pinnacle and I've been with JB (Jenson Button), Lewis (Hamilton), Fernando (Alonso), these guys for a long time, racing."
Do someone doesn't like that Kimi will probably end up taking his place? " title="hmm" /> h" title="hih" />
I am not so sure about Kimi to Red Bull..he said himself he is facing a very difficult desicion. So he knows something about Lotus we dont see and now he has said"He is sure he gets the contract he wants". From Lotus he gets the contract he wants. Red Bull is very tempting team I know but I have a feeling about this at this moment anyway. We will see after a few races..but mark how Ricciardo and Vergne are doing..
I remember Webber always joking "Kimi is supposed to replace me for years now", but if what I read is true, Kimi could have been in Red Bull since 2010! Could you imagine what could have been... Maybe Kimi three times WC and not Vettel h" title="hih" />
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Thu Jun 27, 2013 4:26 pm
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