Raikkonen to take a sabbitical????

[Ian Poole]

F1 Live

Kimi Raikkonen stands to make more money in 2010 if he takes a sabbatical. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports that if the Finn accepts McLaren's current offer, he will earn €15m in 2010, as opposed to €17m if he has a season on the sidelines.

According to his termination deal with Ferrari, the Italian team has promised to pay Raikkonen €17m if he does not race in F1 next year, and €10m if he finds suitable employment elsewhere.

Realising this, McLaren has reportedly offered Raikkonen just 5 million for the 2010 seat, concluding that €15m in total earnings is a very healthy amount for the 2007 world champion.

Presently, Raikkonen's management team of Steve and David Robertson is demanding that McLaren pay a full retainer, plus agree to a reduced amount of sponsorship days for their charge.

Nick Heidfeld has been touted as McLaren's 'plan B', and in an interview with spox.com, the German was asked about Martin Whitmarsh's recent statement that the German veteran is perhaps F1's most underrated driver.

"At the moment I'm not ruling out any team," he answered.

If Nick Heidfeld gets Raikkonen's seat, it's about damn time but too late for me and if they were serious about signing Raikkonen, they need to stump up a little more than 5 mill!

 

[prisonermonkeys]

As was pointed out in this thread, we already have a disucssion going.

For the record, I wouldn't be heartbroken if Kimi left. Ironically enough, my face would be a perfect reflection of his usual expression if he went. As for Hedifeld going to McLaren, he'll be just as slow and useless there as he would be anywhere else. It's time to hang up the helmet, Nick.

 

[Bram Turismo]

They might as well just keep Kovalainen if they want to go for Heidfeld, seriously. Raikkonen is still a very fast driver, but it's not the same Kimi we saw as in his Mclaren days which makes that I'm not too bothered if he gets a seat or not. If a driver really makes such a big deal of a million pounds less or more, than that clearly shows his current passion for the sport...

 

[Ian Poole]

For the record, I wouldn't be heartbroken if Kimi left. Ironically enough, my face would be a perfect reflection of his usual expression if he went. As for Hedifeld going to McLaren, he'll be just as slow and useless there as he would be anywhere else. It's time to hang up the helmet, Nick.

My god, someone get a pen and paper, we agree on something

 

[Ardius]

It will be ironic if Heidfeld gets the seat, wasn't he the person who was competing for the McLaren seat the first time with Raikkonen?

Raikkonen's career has been frustrating and sad. It would be nice to see Heidfeld get a decent seat for once, I disagree that he'd be worse than Kovalainen - at least Nick is somewhat consistent.

Sutil is no better than Heidfeld either, so I'd actually say Heidfeld's their best option if not Raikkonen.

 

[Ian Poole]

It will be ironic if Heidfeld gets the seat, wasn't he the person who was competing for the McLaren seat the first time with Raikkonen?

I believe so sir, if i remember rightly, Heidfeld went off in a tizzy about it

 

[crooky369]

Heidfeld although he's not as good as Raikkonen he'd still make a good number two better than Kovi. It'll probably get overlooked because it was for minor placings but Heidfeld beat Kubica this year in points and I think he'll suit next years rules with all the long runs he does already.

 

[Bram Turismo]

Sutil is no better than Heidfeld either, so I'd actually say Heidfeld's their best option if not Raikkonen.

I'm not agreeing on this, yet. I will agree that Sutil is a rather uncareful driver and tends to throw everything in it just for the heck of it. But I'd love to see what he's capable of in a high end car.

 

[crooky369]

I'm not agreeing on this, yet. I will agree that Sutil is a rather uncareful driver and tends to throw everything in it just for the heck of it. But I'd love to see what he's capable of in a high end car.

But Heidfeld deserves the chance so much more Sutil has had 3 years now and he just hasn't been great IMO.At least Heidfeld offers you consistency which normally equate to what every team wants points.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I'm not agreeing on this, yet. I will agree that Sutil is a rather uncareful driver and tends to throw everything in it just for the heck of it.

It's funny how people praise this as a never-say-die attitude when it's Lewis Hamilton trying to chase down Jenson Buton on the last lap, but when it's Adrian Sutil fighting over fourteenth place, people start getting critical.

 

[Peter]

If I were McLaren and couldn't get Kimi, i'd go after Sutil next. He's a good, young, driver who has a bright future if he can get in a point scoring car. Plus, he'd be more to Hamilton's liking than anyone else, since they're best buddies. Plus plus, he probably wouldn't ask for the millions of euros that Kimi is and Heidfield might ask for.

 

[crooky369]

If I were McLaren and couldn't get Kimi, i'd go after Sutil next. He's a good, young, driver who has a bright future if he can get in a point scoring car. Plus, he'd be more to Hamilton's liking than anyone else, since they're best buddies. Plus plus, he probably wouldn't ask for the millions of euros that Kimi is and Heidfield might ask for.

I'd rather have Kobayashi, Glock or Heidfeld before Sutil!

 

[Ardius]

It's funny how people praise this as a never-say-die attitude when it's Lewis Hamilton trying to chase down Jenson Buton on the last lap, but when it's Adrian Sutil fighting over fourteenth place, people start getting critical.

Thats because Lewis makes less errors than Sutil. See, just racing on the limit is not a sign of being good, you also have to be racing on the edge and make as few errors as possible.

I like Adrian, but I don't think he's really proven himself worthy of a top-team seat. He needs to spend some time in a midfield car that competes nearer the front more often, and prove he can run different strategies more reliably.

He still makes some idiotic rookie mistakes (Singapore 2009) and is not consistent from race to race - though we can't know if this is entirely because of the car or not, relative to Liuzzi and Fisichella he has fluctuated. He doesn't flat out beat either of them.

Heidfeld is a known quantity, reliable, consistent - the perfect driver to reliably finish the car and get an idea of where the car is. He has hung with most of his teammates quite well and most of them have been decent at least. He's never really had a top car though.