Kimi WRC move a back door to RB F1?

[Boudica]

Citroen's rally-team boss Olivier Quesnel will keep a spot open for Kimi Räikkönen in the French outfit's, No.1 team for the 2011 season. .

Räikkönen starts in WRC-rally next season in Citroen's Junior Team.

- It is clear that if he progresses and indicates a certain level of skill, without him being required to do impossible things, he could transfer to the primary team in 2011, Quesnel says in French Autohebdo-site's interview.

A comeback to F1 is only a back-up plan for Räikkönen at this point.

- If he has real difficulties in rally then he perhaps could return to Formula One, Quesnel said.

Quesnel also revealed that the negotiations about Räikkönen's rally-transfer deal started immediately when Ferrari announced that the Finn will not be driving for them in 2010.

- This [contract] has been under negotiation for the last two months. He wanted to drive in rallies, very passionately.

I think Kimi just really wanted to go to WRC, his co-driver mentioned the same details as Quesnel. Kimi is a Finn after all, they all grow up with rallying, rallying is properly more respected then F1 in Finland, therefore it is also very much, partly a cultural thing.
Apparently Kimi wants to become the first F1 and WRC champion. If that is really his goal, then he has to start somewhere, rally in itself requires full commitment, lots of skill and also experience, so Kimi has to start somewhere and he might as well do it now. Besides something also gives me the idea that he will properly enjoy rallying so much that he wouldn't want to go back to F1 again. Except if he performs really badly, but I can't really see that happening, he has already showed some real potential.

It will also be fantastic to perhaps see Kimi and Loeb together at Lemans, I hope that isn't just a rumour.

[segedunum]

Given the soundbites coming out of Woking and Maranello at the moment about how life is lovely, pink ponies are running wild through summer meadows and there will be no problems with the driver signings they've made, as well as Mercedes's constant dithering, I can only predict that Raikkonen's no-nonsense tac on this whole silly season episode will be proved right.

The only championship winner next year is going to be Red Bull (probably part of the reason why he felt the time was right to say yes and accept Ferrari's pay-off), and for them to also see their rivals having to release press soundbites in order to cover their bases regarding self-destruction months before the season has begun will please them no end.

Red Bull are out in front currently, and you have to say that based on the evidence of their performances, and Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes are all vying to win some races, get close and sniff around for both championships. They can't all produce great cars to create an advantage so they're going to need the right drivers who can pull out the crucial two tenths here and there at the right times. Those drivers are going to need to be unemotional, straight and to-the-point without bogging the team down in political nonsense. While soundbites regarding 'bonding with the team' are nice, there tends to be very little correllation between emotion and results in Formula 1 and you would have thought Ferrari would have learned that by now.

[PlatinumZealot]

Emotion is veeeery important. Ever watched Braveheart?

Just put kimi in the place of William Wallace (Mel Gibson) and watch the Scottish moral drop to rock bottom.

[segedunum]

Braveheart is a pretty laughable example.

Just put kimi in the place of William Wallace (Mel Gibson) and watch the Scottish moral drop to rock bottom.

I forget who won that one. The emotional Scots who needed led, and couldn't be led even when there was a leader, or the unemotional English? Formula 1 is a very black and white environment where emotion has little place. Those that forget that fail.

[WhiteBlue]

Kimi and Red Bull look like a very good match. He will certainly have no problem to give them value for sponsorship money. Almost every other brand in F1 would be more difficult for Kimi to generate some affection for. When he is properly motivated he can still do very solid and inspired work in an F1 car as we have seen in the second half of the season. It also looks likely that Red Bull will have good cars in the next years. So any thoughts of that may have crossed his mind when he made his decision for 2010. I look forward to see his results in WRC this year and wish him luck. In F1 you need success and if his rally experience is positiv it will help his return to F1.

[Rod_in_Chile]

I'll have to disagree on a few points, Kimi it seems to me doesn't like being in the public eye so I think it would be hard to get value for money from him in the sponsorship area, and I really hope that is not among the criteria that teams have for employing drivers, we need racers not models.
Also I fail to see how success in rally will help him get back into F1, they are completely different disciplines ( hope Max isn't reading he may get excited ), success in Rally certainly hasn't helped Loeb get a superliscense

[Giblet]

Kimi doesn't need a back door to get in. He's not a klien or luitzi.

He can just use the front door. Red bull sponsors airplane racing and sponsors cardboard boxes being used in flight. Not to mention dirt bikes , skateboarders, I don't see why being on a junior Wrc team gas any bearing , considering he is already under personal red bull sponsorship.

[Rod_in_Chile]

that could actually be negative publicity when I think about it, picture it Kimi in a press conference speaking in what appears to be a bored monotone with a can of RedBull in front, not a high recommendation for an energy drink

[-KMR_NH-]

I'd love to see Kimi back in F1 but I don't think he will race there again. Unfortunately. But I'll like it if he does, for sure

Having RB as a sponsor in WRC could be a help to get in F1 with RBR again.

[noname]

that could actually be negative publicity when I think about it, picture it Kimi in a press conference speaking in what appears to be a bored monotone with a can of RedBull in front, not a high recommendation for an energy drink

if he would be the one in the middle you would have the race winner and the Red Bull can.

not a bad combination.

[segedunum]

It's clear that it's become a lot more than personal sponsorship now. Red Bull is backing his race career completely, and if he doesn't get back with Red Bull he won't get back into Formula 1 at all I'd wager. It depends on what happens next year with various driver moves and who's made the right decisions.

Ferrari was just a poor match with him, especially when his political ally within the team Jean Todt had left. Afterall, he signed him and snubbed Alonso as a result and let Raikkonen go snowmobiling. I don't think motivation has ever been a problem or a cause of less than perfect results. Even when he's been in less than perfect positions he's still been trying. What I think has scuppered him is that once Todt had left Ferrari just seemed to want to put their eggs in Massa's basket and it was he who got the front suspension he wanted in 2008 where Raikkonen didn't. That's puzzling considering how much they were paying him. As soon as that happened he didn't have much of a future there. The fact that his results accelerated once Massa wasn't racing probably wasn't a coincidence. Whereas Alonso or Schumacher would play the political game to get what they want Raikkonen just won't. It's a curse as well as a blessing at times. His biggest failing is that he just didn't get annoyed at the team enough in 2008, but then, things might have got out of hand.

Ferrari and Raikkonen just cancelled each other out really, and he needs a team that are willing to just put faith in him and to eliminate the politics - as well as allow him to do some of the extra curricular things he wants to do. Red Bull will get marketing mileage out of that even if Raikkonen doesn't say much, and they'll be more than happy to slap Red Bull stickers on his snowmobile. They're about as perfect a match as he'll get if he wants to get back in 2011 and get his head down until he retires.

[Giblet]

It's clear that it's become a lot more than personal sponsorship now. Red Bull is backing his race career completely, and if he doesn't get back with Red Bull he won't get back into Formula 1 at all I'd wager. It depends on what happens next year with various driver moves and who's made the right decisions.

Ferrari was just a poor match with him, especially when his political ally within the team Jean Todt had left. Afterall, he signed him and snubbed Alonso as a result and let Raikkonen go snowmobiling. I don't think motivation has ever been a problem or a cause of less than perfect results. Even when he's been in less than perfect positions he's still been trying. What I think has scuppered him is that once Todt had left Ferrari just seemed to want to put their eggs in Massa's basket and it was he who got the front suspension he wanted in 2008 where Raikkonen didn't. That's puzzling considering how much they were paying him. As soon as that happened he didn't have much of a future there. The fact that his results accelerated once Massa wasn't racing probably wasn't a coincidence. Whereas Alonso or Schumacher would play the political game to get what they want Raikkonen just won't. It's a curse as well as a blessing at times. His biggest failing is that he just didn't get annoyed at the team enough in 2008, but then, things might have got out of hand.

Ferrari and Raikkonen just cancelled each other out really, and he needs a team that are willing to just put faith in him and to eliminate the politics - as well as allow him to do some of the extra curricular things he wants to do. Red Bull will get marketing mileage out of that even if Raikkonen doesn't say much, and they'll be more than happy to slap Red Bull stickers on his snowmobile. They're about as perfect a match as he'll get if he wants to get back in 2011 and get his head down until he retires.

I am sure that the Red Bull sponsorship helps of course, but as far as I understood it he has a contract with Citroen who is sponsored by Red Bull. Citroen chose to sign him with Red Bull's blessing. Would they have still done it if they were not sponsored by Red Bull?

I am not sure but everything I have read says he was signed by Citroen who gets Red Bull money.

I don't follow WRC closely, so am not sure, but I thought Citroen signed Kimi, not Red Bull. I would like the particulars of his contract to see what has "clearly changed".

I can understand why someone would think that the back door is a good idea for some drivers, but Red Bull F1 can pretty much choose their driver now that they are positioned as a top(ish) team. I only say ish as even the greats drop the ball sometimes, but their ability to bounce back has made them great over decades.

The Red Bull sponsorship could help someone, but if they want Kimi and Kimi wants them, neither will let a minor and not very public sponsorship with Red Bull influence that. I had never evne heard that Kimi was Red Bull sponsored until the Citroen deal was signed.

I agree that team of fire like Ferrari was not a good fit for the icy veins of Kimi. You need to wear you heart on your sleeve to drive for Ferrari. The Italian fans can sense the love from a mile away, which is why they gave in and loved El Lione (Mansel) after not very long.

Either way, the driver silly seasons next year might have more vacancies. More teams, some more unproved drivers.

[segedunum]

I don't follow WRC closely, so am not sure, but I thought Citroen signed Kimi, not Red Bull. I would like the particulars of his contract to see what has "clearly changed".

Pardon? The way this works is that sponsors have a tendency to be able to dictate who gets a drive and where because they pay this thing called money, regardless of the team a driver signs on the dotted line for. That's how it works and how it has always worked. Just as Santander has smooted Alonos's path into Ferrari Red Bull has smoothed Raikkonen's path into Citroen and into a possible future drive in F1 for them.

I thought everyone knew this? To say that there is no connection there is just............bizarre.

[wesley123]

i dont think WRC is a back door to red bull, if that was the case they rather housed him at STR or so.

Kimi just goes to WRC for a learning year and then the real job can begin, he wont be coming back to F1.
As far as i know none of the teams was happy with kimi in public, how he was to the press. If im correct he didnt have any sponsors there, wich is an opportunity for him in WRC as the whole culture is different. The WRC to me has a cooler image then F1, WRC is hard working, less press and just go over unknown stages, find your own limits and how you can estimate things, in WRC the men gets seperated from the boys.

See what type of Image Ken Block has for example, he looks like a real rough guy, and he is rallying, with his image he would never make it to F1 for example, it isnt anything the teams like. In an other way, Ken Blokc is used alot as a promotional stunt, see his gymkhana vids, his 171ft jumps and over snow board parks, the reason for example monster is sponsoring him is due to his image, something you dont find in F1. What do you think that has happened in F1 if Monster was a title sponsor in one of the teams? Block would have had a chance of driving at the rookie day, why? a promotional stunt, just to keep the image of monster similair. I have a fictional team for where i design things for etc. to me it has got a cool image, in my fantasy it is a team with a cool image, wich monster fits in it.

Teams certainly take such tings in consideration, does a driver fit their image?

[Giblet]

I don't follow WRC closely, so am not sure, but I thought Citroen signed Kimi, not Red Bull. I would like the particulars of his contract to see what has "clearly changed".

Pardon? The way this works is that sponsors have a tendency to be able to dictate who gets a drive and where because they pay this thing called money, regardless of the team a driver signs on the dotted line for. That's how it works and how it has always worked. Just as Santander has smooted Alonos's path into Ferrari Red Bull has smoothed Raikkonen's path into Citroen and into a possible future drive in F1 for them.

I thought everyone knew this? To say that there is no connection there is just............bizarre.

You talk about the Red Bull sponsorship of Kimi like it's a back door, with no proof. You said his contract clearly changed, which is a very grand statement to make with no evidence other than what you read in to it. If it has changed to get him into F1, there is no proof other than speculation.

Your opinion is great and all, but where did you read, or where did you hear that Kimi's personal Red Bull sponsorship changed? Where did you hear that he signed on the dotted line with intent to race for Red Bull in 2011? I can't find a single article or news item to back up what your brain is inventing.

He was signed for a team sponsored already by Red Bull. Alonso had a deal with Santander, and they followed him to Mclaren, and now have followed him to Ferrari.

Kimi was with Red Bull personal sponsorship before even going to Ferrari, maybe Red Bull was paving a path to there as well?

You don't know, but talk like you do. I don't know, and asked a simple question. You felt the need to explain how sponsorship works. I know how sponsorship works, but this particular deal so far has no bassis in reality, other then your EXPERT SPECULATION.

Coming to a conclusion with no information is just.........bizarre. Please instead of trying to explain sponsorship, show me something tangible.

I look forward to you breaking my post down line by line without addressing the question I asked in the previous post, and again in this one.