Kimi WRC move a back door to RB F1?

[BreezyRacer]

OK, so Kimi has elected to rally with Citroen for 2010. A team sponsored largely by Red Bull. So does anyone think Kimi took this deal as maybe a back door towards a Red bull F1 ride???????

[Giblet]

Red Bull have said the deal has no bearing on an F1 seat. His chances are as good as they were before the rally contract.

He has been personally sponsored by Red Bull since before he signed with Ferrari. It is easy to find pics of Kimi with a can of Red Bull nearby. Or a bottle of Vodka.

[cooper-climax]

Am I just being simple here? I know that the formula one paddock is normally full intrigue and double dealing, but is it possible that Kimi just likes rallying? He has had a couple of one-off drives before, And is a Fin after all.

Citoren gets loads of media attention.

Kimi gets, to go rallying in a top spec car, and not lose face by taking a large pay-cut in F1.

We the fans get to see him adjust to a different discipline.

Win-Win-Win? or have i missed the point as usual?

[Giblet]

You know he secretly entered a snow mobile endurance race under an alias before?

He also won it.

Oh the alias he used was James Hunt. Playboy pilot of the 70's.

[cooper-climax]

You know he secretly entered a snow mobile endurance race under an alias before?

He also won it.

Oh the alias he used was James Hunt. Playboy pilot of the 70's.

Strangely enough, I heard about that only a couple of days ago, I think he has also done some power-boating under the same name.

[segedunum]

Red Bull can say what they like, but that is definitely the angle and it's something I predicted myself a few weeks ago - until his management started issuing press releases about moving to rallying with nothing much happening, probably in an attempt to prod Mercedes. If McLaren didn't work out as a serious option I doubt whether Mercedes would have been though. In the end Raikkonen had to sign otherwise it would have started to look rather silly. It's the best option though. Red Bull are almost certainly going to be the team to beat in 2010 and going to McLaren or Mercedes might well have seen him fall short again.

Don't be fooled. Formula 1 is the main event for him, he still has a lot more to achieve and time is running out. Raikkonen will take Ferreri's money (I can't believe he'll be paid more than Alonso or Hamilton next year) enjoy rallying and take it seriously, but he isn't going to hang about in Citroen's junior rallying team forever. As he said, he wants to win in rallying or Formula 1. Being in a team where he can win in Formula 1 and where he feels most comfortable, where his and their interests align and where he can do rallying or other forms of racing occasionally is the most important thing. That was never going to happen at McLaren or Mercedes and Red Bull is the only team for him now.

Without Red Bull's involvement it's doubtful that Raikkonen could get back, but it looks almost like a cast iron certainty now. Having a major backer is essential to getting back after a sabbatical. Just ask Prost. There will almost certainly be a Red Bull seat available in 2011 with Webber's contract being up, Webber's involvement in the GP3 team and the mutterings over Vettel and Mercedes. It's a risk, but I doubt whether things will have moved on enough in a year's time for that opportunity not to be there.

[segedunum]

He has been personally sponsored by Red Bull since before he signed with Ferrari.

It's more than personal sponsorship now. They're now backing his race career.

[BreezyRacer]

As I understand it Ferrari pays Kimi something like 17mil to sit out 2010. Lining up an F1 ride (which seems to pay much better WRC) via a year in WRC while pocketing 17 mil for NOT being in F1 sounds like a good idea to me. BTW, both RB driver contracts are up in 2011.

[segedunum]

As I understand it Ferrari pays Kimi something like 17mil to sit out 2010. Lining up an F1 ride (which seems to pay much better WRC) via a year in WRC while pocketing 17 mil for NOT being in F1 sounds like a good idea to me.

Yep. I know people will say that he's silly giving up on Formula 1 like he has, but fair play to him if he can negotiate deals like that. I would probably go that route if it made financial sense and I had a route back into Formula 1 if I desired. I'd only stay in Formula 1 if I was sure of a team with a dominant car that would take me to the championship, and if not, it's a year wasted anyway. Since the only team that can really guarantee that in 2010 is Red Bull and their driver seats are taken then this seems like the best option.

[Slife]

Couldn't it just be Kimi is just bored or uninterested in F1 and is starting to like something else ?

I'm pretty sure there was another WDC driver who was bored of F1 and just left, but I could be wrong.

[GTO]

This didn't require new thread. It could've tied into the exist. thread for Kimi.
viewtopic.php?p=135364&f=1#p135364

[mx_tifoso]

This didn't require new thread. It could've tied into the exist. thread for Kimi.
viewtopic.php?p=135364&f=1#p135364

Good luck trying to get people to understand that.

[Giblet]

Raikkonen's stock is falling rapidly.

The kind of paycheques he is used to are not going to be the norm anymore.

There are kids out there that might be nearly as quick, or as quick, but also are not robots.

Teams need someone who is not, in Ferrari's own words, "closed".

Being quick is not enough anymore, when you have people like Vettel who can drive, and can charm the pants off of sponsors and fans.

Ciro - Can you merge this pst into the other one please? The power is in your hands.

[Rod_in_Chile]

Those past photos of Kimi with RedBull sponsorship might have something to do with his time at Sauber who were sponsored by RedBull

[n smikle]

Kimi is obviouly taking Formula 1 for granted. He has no more passion, his only aim is easy glory. He does not want to work hard at all; "just give me a championship winning car a truckload of cash and vacation time" he says. It's better for RedBull to leave a space for people who really have a passion for F1, not this bandit of a driver.