Kimi WRC move a back door to RB F1?

[Giblet]

The question in the topic: "Kimi WRC move a back door to RB F1?"

The answer to the question in the topic "No it is not. He will use the front door if he comes back, driving for Citroen Red Bull is not a back door". That was my whole point, and DM has confirmed it.

He can use the 'front door', if he comes back. Driving a Citroen for Red Bull has no bearing on his coming to F1. That was my whole point, and I have no connected the dots like you so frimly stated before. You were looking at the wrong dots that the journos laid out for you. A back door would be a contract, a handshake, or something. Mark has both feet in right now, and so does Vettel. They have their destiny in their hands.

Interestingly, Vettel has said that there is no reason he could not drive for Ferrari or Mclaren one day ("Why not?" he said in a recent magazine interview), and more interestingly, Massa's contract with the SF ends this year.

That, would be interesting, and the soonest I would see Kimi coming back to F1, with a top team anyway.

He might just love rallying, but it's so hard to tell with that cat. He doesn't exactly wear his heart on his sleeve.

[segedunum]

The answer to the question in the topic "No it is not. He will use the front door if he comes back, driving for Citroen Red Bull is not a back door". That was my whole point, and DM has confirmed it.

Unless he actually doesn't turn up at Red Bull, then no he hasn't. Christian Horner completely fudged the issue in a very bizarre way and all DM has done is use it as a means to say to Mark Webber "Well, if you don't perform............". That's all it is. He hasn't confirmed anything with what he said, and Christian Horner certainly hasn't.

I'm not sure what you mean by a 'front door'. If he does turn up at Red Bull then he will have used it as a back door because it will mean speculation about the future options he sought with Red Bull will have turned out to be true. He won't just magically turn up at Red Bull's F1 team with no prior discussions having taken place. That's not the way things work, and not the way the Robertsons work.

Driving a Citroen for Red Bull has no bearing on his coming to F1.

It's nice to see that you acknowledge that Red Bull was the reason why he got the drive for Citroen in the first place......... Yer, just like Prost had no connection to Renault when he returned.......... It's happened before, which is why the question is being asked of Red Bull constantly. Their answers haven't been convincing and have simply been a means to quash speculation they don't need ahead of 2010.

You were looking at the wrong dots that the journos laid out for you. A back door would be a contract, a handshake, or something.

Well, no, because it's the very reason why such a thread like this exists - the question was obvious to everybody but you it seems. Such a situation has happened before and it will happen again. We also don't know that a contract, agreement or handshake hasn't happened and if it has then it certainly won't be announced now. That's the point. I'm sure Raikkonen's long touted move to Ferrari was all just hearsay - until he turned up there.

Mark has both feet in right now, and so does Vettel. They have their destiny in their hands.

Mark's contract is up at the end of this season and he's already paved the way for a career beyond F1 by becoming Team Principal of a Red Bull F3 team.

Interestingly, Vettel has said that there is no reason he could not drive for Ferrari or Mclaren one day ("Why not?" he said in a recent magazine interview), and more interestingly, Massa's contract with the SF ends this year.

I think it's a fairly open secret that Mercedes do want Vettel at some point, but it's pure speculation with absolutely nothing to go on as to when it would happen. He has a contract beyond this year. Ferrari? Possibly, but we have nothing currently that would indicate that would happen other than the fact that Massa's contract is up - not even a set of convenient coincidences.

[WhiteBlue]

There is an interesting report about Kimi not coming for the WDC asssembly at Bahrain this month. All the living F1 WDC will come except Piquet and Kimi. Piquet's failure to show is probably related to Crashgate and the destroyed relationships from that episode. But Kimi not coming shows how he dislikes promoting F1 even when it is done for the fans and the sport. it looks like he will only come back under very favorable circumstances which may or may not happen.

[segedunum]

There is an interesting report about Kimi not coming for the WDC asssembly at Bahrain this month. All the living F1 WDC will come except Piquet and Kimi.

I doubt whether he would be able to attend with Rally Mexico starting this weekend, the fact that he needs to do a lot more testing and other rally commitments. Piquet not attending is predictable, but past champions probably have either nothing else to do or are in sync with F1 events because they are still in F1.

[Giblet]

Mark's contract is up at the end of this season and he's already paved the way for a career beyond F1 by becoming Team Principal of a Red Bull F3 team.

But he has said if he is motivated and has a fast car, then he will keep racing, and RB has confirmed this. Stay quick, be motivated, get the drive.

[segedunum]

We'll see what happens in due course. The speculation was pretty obvious as soon as Raikkonen's whole race career effectively became backed by Red Bull, but until something actually happens (or doesn't happen) the speculation and discussion has run its course for now. We have a whole 2010 season to look forward to and the one fact that we do know for certain is that Raikkonen will not be there.

[beret]

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article. ... 1902&FS=F1 =D>

[Giblet]

I'd like to see Kimi back as well, but the article says one thing, Hamilton says something, but Horner says something totally different.

He's already gone on record saying that if Mark puts in a good year, they have no reason to look elsewhere.

[raceman]

=D>

Kimi is a hard racer, just lacks on PR part - doesn't matter if he is winning races and/or beating others to positions!

[WhiteBlue]

The thread titles is deliberately misleading! Kimi should have a good chance to come back if he doesn't over play his hand. He is the driver with the most fastest race laps behind Schumacher. He would be a good fit at Red Bull.

[beret]

That's a stunner...awesome news for F1 aficionados like us. If he'll make it to Red Bull then 2011 will be the season of the decade.Go Kimi Go.

[Mysticf1]

None of this is news, its the same old quotes that have been floating around for months now, they have just resurfaced once again due to Webbers poor form.

Id love to see Kimi back in F1 but id be sad to see Webber lose his seat at RBR also...its really in Marks court to have a good season...he hasn't gotten to a good start thats forsure.

i Still think this is more rumour than fact.

[Pandamasque]

*Ahem* viewtopic.php?p=151797#p151797

[segedunum]

It's been discussed before on another thread, but I think most people know it will happen. However, rather like Raikkonen's protracted move to Ferrari that everyone knew was going to happen for almost a couple of years, we'll just have to wait until pen is put to paper - publicly.

Horner has never denied it, and his comments are the most bizarre of the lot. Mateschitz is the one who has said that it probably won't happen if Webber has a good year, but inevitably, the nature of Formula 1 being what it is and Webber's last couple of races will have brought it up again. Red Bull will have been displeased with Webber not managing to collect at least one race victory. Helmut Marko's comments on Webber's race were rather short.

However, let's discuss it when something concrete happens please otherwise we'll get big threads about nothing, until it becomes something.

[Raftaar]

I think I completely agree with mysticF1 there. The RBR - Raikkonen connection was being endorsed by the media even before he signed for Cietron. Now that Webber has had a bad race, the "future foreseers" got a chance to show their talent, and milked the situation with another "gem" of an article.

I, like all others I'm sure, would love to see Kimi racing again in F1; But let us not rush him back in our minds. People who have watched Kimi over the years will definitely know how he is, he will do something only if he really likes it, and if he gets his head into something he likes, by goodness, he does it brilliantly. I actually felt he joined WRC because he was really interested in the sport. We know he has had a rough start to his maiden rally campaign, but I won't at all be surprised to see him come good at some point very soon, I'll be very happy to see that.

Last, but not the least, let us not decredit Webber by any means. He is a great racing driver and a thorough professional. He has done very well with RBR, and Horner amd co. will agree to that. He has been challanged by Vettel since last year, and has responded pretty decently. As Horner has been quoted in that report, if he continues to give competetive performances, there is no reason for them to think for a replacement.