Lotus F1 Team 2013

[i70q7m7ghw]

Fairly clever from Kimi really, now he doesn't have to do the final two races unpaid, but he won't be in breach of contract because he has a valid reason for not racing.

He´s getting surgery. I doubt this was a mastermind move to not race while still getting paid.
Seeing as he´s raced what 80% of the season already without pay.

Any details of the surgery? Is it something that must be done now, or could he have waited until the end of the season? I suspect that if he were being paid, this surgery would likely have taken place after the end of the season. It's a heck of a co-incidence that he was talking about not doing the last two races, and suddenly he has a reason not do them that doesn't breach his contract.

A bit like when he signed for Ferrari earlier this year and he was mysteriously I'll for the first press conference after the announcement.

[SectorOne]

Nope just back surgery at the moment.

I´m not sure but i would guess Kimi has been racing when he probably should not have done so and pain got the better of him and finally decided to do the surgery. He nearly did not race in Singapore for example.
Getting fresh for Ferrari in January sounds like a good plan.

[slimfitcasual]

Wait so just a day ago he's getting his seat fit with Ferrari, the next he pulls the plug on his current season with Lotus due to back surgery?

[turbof1]

A seat can always be adjusted. Quick mold, a night working through to get it done and friday morning is ready to go.

The biggest issue they'll have is getting the quantum deal rounded up in time.

[Manoah2u]

Wait so just a day ago he's getting his seat fit with Ferrari, the next he pulls the plug on his current season with Lotus due to back surgery?

exactly my thoughts. slam in a caterham of guido to end your race early so you don't have to deal with the back issues [which, i do believe he is experiencing, yet hasn't bothered him all year until the recent 'turbulence' within the team and suddenly a 'stairway incident' troubles his earlier back issues again?], and now turn your back on lotus so you can have your back fixed so that's done before you are scheduled to commence work for ferrari, probably even this year.
Maybe lotusf1 team didn't treat him in the best of manners all year and there might have been some more 'situations' throughout the year [quite frankly, i don't think romain had the friendliest experiences within the team either], but, it seems kimi just flipped the finger to his employer that gave him a good enough car to run along the front of the WDC for 2 years....

[marcush.]

what deal does Nico or Lotus need? Hulk is a free agent he has terminated his contract with sauber a long time ago .He could well use the two races as a display of his speed and craft -increasing his value -so the new contract would be even more costly for lotus potentially...
Lotus can always claim he is by far the best driver available right now -so chances to score are maximised -plus he is not in a car of an opponent with the potential to take points away from lotus!

[Manoah2u]

A seat can always be adjusted. Quick mold, a night working through to get it done and friday morning is ready to go.

The biggest issue they'll have is getting the quantum deal rounded up in time.

since Sauber told Hulk earlier this year he's a free agent since they didn't keep compliant to their part of the contract,
i assume that still stands and Hulk could just jump ship to Lotus, even if the Quantum deal isn't done yet. The Quantum
deal is about 2014, not 2013. However, it's logical it wouldn't benefit Hulkenberg to go there this year if he wouldn't end
up there coming year anyway.
But since Maldonado also has been linked to a Sauber seat, chances are just aswell Hulk either way will not be at sauber
in 2014 since Sirotkin is coming in next year, and I dunno if they're willing to release the bucks Guiterrez is homing in.
If sauber NEEDS 2 paydrivers for '14, it's Hulk out either way and thus wouldn't really be bad to jump to Lotus right now
even though it's unsure he'll end up there coming year.

[Manoah2u]

what deal does Nico or Lotus need? Hulk is a free agent he has terminated his contract with sauber a long time ago .He could well use the two races as a display of his speed and craft -increasing his value -so the new contract would be even more costly for lotus potentially...
Lotus can always claim he is by far the best driver available right now -so chances to score are maximised -plus he is not in a car of an opponent with the potential to take points away from lotus!

+2

[SectorOne]

Kimi Raikkonen is to miss the final two races of the 2013 Formula 1 season after electing to undergo back surgery next week.

The Finn had been at the centre of a pay dispute with his Lotus bosses in Abu Dhabi last weekend, but it appeared that matters had been sorted so he could compete in the United States and Brazil.

However, in a fresh twist, the back issues that nearly forced Raikkonen out of the Singapore Grand Prix earlier this year flared up enough for him to choose to take early surgery.

Rather than travel to the United States for the final events of the season, Raikkonen will now fly to Salzburg for the operation.

His manager Steve Robertson confirmed to AUTOSPORT that Raikkonen's 2013 campaign was over, as it is estimated that there is a four-week recovery period.

The news was first broken in Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat.

Had Raikkonen waited until after the season, then there was a chance that it could have impacted on his preparations for 2014 with Ferrari.

Seems perfectly logical.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111218

[Manoah2u]

but perfectly disrespectful to his current employer.

[SectorOne]

but perfectly disrespectful to his current employer.

So you are saying he should risk damaging his back for life and continue racing and just postpone a surgery.
That´s disrespectful to your own body. Something that really matters.

[turbof1]

If he really is free to go, I still believe there is some sort of minimized contractual binding in place to sort out financial or other legal issues, perhaps on a race to race basis, then of course this is a no brainer.

It still depends though how the management of Hulk wants to play it out. If they agree just to fill in those 2 races with no strings attached, then he'll be driving in a Lotus car next weekend. But if they want to secure his future and get a contract sorted out right away, things will get complicated. Then Lotus both has to sort the quantum deal and a contract for Hulkenberg within less then a week. I hope Nico just agrees with those 2 races for now.

[iotar__]

Seems perfectly logical.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111218

Only if you're taking their words as gospel. And for who? Certainly for Ferrari. I'm sure this surgery couldn't wait until the end of the season, not with "four weeks recovery period". Thank god it's not about the money.

Fitting end to Lotus-Raikkonen project failure, why waste a second and further damage reputation driving like he did recently. They let him do whatever he wanted (team orders, updates etc.) so the ultimate choice is not to be bothered with driving. Not to mention advantages like huge salary present (even if late) and future earned only because he was driving excellent car in the only F1 team willing to hire him.

About replacement and costs for Lotus - since they gave up on results and WCC before the season began, who cares, Valsecchi probably, Hulkenberg is fairy-tales territory on many levels. Speaking of NH di Resta had his type of result and no one's fainting, he even kept the same driver behind, unless it's not the greatest achievement in motorsport anymore someone should hire Di Resta for 2014.

[tim|away]

but perfectly disrespectful to his current employer.

So you are saying he should risk damaging his back for life and continue racing and just postpone a surgery.
That´s disrespectful to your own body. Something that really matters.

No one wants for Kimi to compromise his health. Let's recall the facts of the story ...

Raikkonen had a heavy testing accident at Magny-Cours in September 2001, during his rookie Formula 1 season with Sauber. He went off at the fast Imola chicane leading to the Chateau d'Eau corner and had a violent rearward impact. He was taken to hospital for a precautionary check-up, and though he escaped serious injury, his back has been troubling him ever since.

In November 2013 - well over a decade after the incident - his doctor pushes for surgery and suggests that Raikkonen shouldn't participate in the two last remaining races, as it could cause irreparable effects on his health. It remains unclear what exactly worsened the condition, or what caused the sudden urgency.

[SectorOne]

but perfectly disrespectful to his current employer.

So you are saying he should risk damaging his back for life and continue racing and just postpone a surgery.
That´s disrespectful to your own body. Something that really matters.

No one wants for Kimi to compromise his health. Let's recall the facts of the story ...

Raikkonen had a heavy testing accident at Magny-Cours in September 2001, during his rookie Formula 1 season with Sauber. He went off at the fast Imola chicane leading to the Chateau d'Eau corner and had a violent rearward impact. He was taken to hospital for a precautionary check-up, and though he escaped serious injury, his back has been troubling him ever since.

In November 2013 - well over a decade after the incident - his doctor pushes for surgery and suggests that Raikkonen shouldn't participate in the two last remaining races, as it could cause irreparable effects on his health. It remains unclear what exactly worsened the condition, or what caused the sudden urgency.

Good facts.

If he was not going to have a surgery i could have believed the other story with the no pay thing but he´s getting a surgery.
That´s not a thing you do to skip racing for a bit. regardless if you have been paid or not.