Ex-Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen will compete for Citroen in the World Rally Championship next season, the team announced Friday. After leaving Ferrari at the end of 2009, the 2007 champion will compete in rallies for Citroen's Red Bull-backed Junior Team in 2010.
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there's still hope.. plenty of talk (especially on Twitter) has resurfaced amongst F1 journalists that Robertson has re-initiated talks with Mercedes.. there may be a comeback afterall!
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If money is not an issue, I think Kimi will be a good fit for MGP.
1) WDC
2) Kimi/MGP merchandise sales will be sufficient to pay for Kimi salary.
3) Kimi/Rosberg team up will concur 80% of all female F1 fans.
4) Kimi (a WDC) will be a good marketing icon for Merc
5) Kimi will be a good motivation for Rosberg.
Plus he's a proven race-winner. That has to be an advantage for the team compared to a Rosberg/Heidfeld pairing.
Any post(s) made by this user are (semi-)educated opinion(s), based on random fact(s) blurred by the smudges of time.
Any fact(s) claimed by this user will be supplemented by a link to the original source of said fact(s).
He will be racing in WRC next season according to autosport. Apparently Kimi expressed that if he is going to sign an F1 contract, it has to allow him participate in WRC as well.
Fil wrote:there's still hope.. plenty of talk (especially on Twitter) has resurfaced amongst F1 journalists that Robertson has re-initiated talks with Mercedes.. there may be a comeback afterall!
If Merc are talking they probably want him as a replacement for Vettel at Read Bull. Whenever that may be. Likely 2011.
Formula One's fundamental ethos is about success coming to those with the most ingenious engineering and best ..............................organization, not to those with the biggest budget. (Dave Richards)
Heidveld is a journeyman driver. Rosberg too - though I am not as certain about that. Mercedes really need a top rank driver now that the team will be renamed Mercedes. Having committed so much to this I would be surprised if they don't take the best driver available.
Personally, I think a switch to Brawn Merc is the most logical solution for both parties, maybe more for Mercedes, but I think there are a few obstacles to such a deal, money not being one of them.
A switch to WRC with Citroen and Red Bull, with a view to moving back to Red Bull in F1 when either Vettel or Webber inevitably move on, is the most suited to Raikkonen. Red Bull and his interests align perfectly, he can go rallying when he wants and they would be more than happy to slap a Red Bull sticker on his snowmobile.
On the other hand, a year away from F1 is risky and there is no guarantee Red Bull will be in a winning position in 2011, hence the Merc option.
segedunum wrote:On the other hand, a year away from F1 is risky and there is no guarantee Red Bull will be in a winning position in 2011, hence the Merc option.
Merc may have to buy an option on Kimi in order to have him stand by when they want to grab Vettel. Pass Kimi to Red Bull and give Red Bull an engine deal could be a possible approach. I also believe that Kimi would be ideal for Red Bulls corporate attitude. I mean drinking Red Bull vodkas would be the kind of sponsor work Kimi loves. The sticker on the snow mobile or the life savers in Monaco harbour would hardly be a problem.
Formula One's fundamental ethos is about success coming to those with the most ingenious engineering and best ..............................organization, not to those with the biggest budget. (Dave Richards)
RedBull guys do a lot of PR and Kimi seems so bland in front of the cameras. That is very same thing Kimi is running from.
I remember when RedBull with Buemi came to my country, Jamaica in 2008. (10th highest RedBull consumers ) he had to do so many activities other than driving. I just can't imagine Kimi doing similar..
The motorsports scene in Jamaica is fantastic(puerto rico too)... I wish I had known about this I would have definatly made the trip from Miami. Thanks for putting those vids up.