Kimi To Retire At End Of 2015 Season

Kimi To Retire At End Of 2015 Season

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Discussion

fatboy69

Original Poster:

9,371 posts

186 months

Thursday 3rd July 2014
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Seems as though Kimi has, in his usual laid back style, announced that 2015 will be his last in F1.

So the silly season starts already as in 'who goes to Ferrari in 2016?'.


patmahe

5,744 posts

203 months

Thursday 3rd July 2014
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His heart doesn't seem to be in it anymore. Can't really blame him to be honest, he went to ferrari to win and they haven't given him the tool for the job.

Olivero

2,152 posts

208 months

Thursday 3rd July 2014
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Will be sad to see him go. The time does seem right as I can see the car improving that much over the next year.




designndrive62

743 posts

156 months

Thursday 3rd July 2014
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He's never really settled anywhere. It's sad really as he is naturally talented as a driver and if he had settled somewhere could have had a much more decorated f1 career.

Maybe world rally cross will be where he finds his home post f1? I can see it suiting his style quite well, more than rally and f1 anyway

g4ry13

16,889 posts

254 months

Thursday 3rd July 2014
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Hulkenberg for Ferrari.

lbc

3,212 posts

216 months

Thursday 3rd July 2014
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Jenson Button's retirement home, if Ron does not fire him before then. smile

DanielSan

18,748 posts

166 months

Thursday 3rd July 2014
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designndrive62 said:
He's never really settled anywhere. It's sad really as he is naturally talented as a driver and if he had settled somewhere could have had a much more decorated f1 career.

Maybe world rally cross will be where he finds his home post f1? I can see it suiting his style quite well, more than rally and f1 anyway
Sadly the place he worked best was also the team who forgot to actually pay him for his services. Lotus were perfect for him, laid back attitude and just let him drive. Last season's performances proved that.

Would be good to see him in WRX though.

VolvoT5

4,155 posts

173 months

Friday 4th July 2014
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designndrive62 said:
He's never really settled anywhere. It's sad really as he is naturally talented as a driver and if he had settled somewhere could have had a much more decorated f1 career.

Maybe world rally cross will be where he finds his home post f1? I can see it suiting his style quite well, more than rally and f1 anyway
I think he was pretty settled at Lotus and would have stayed there (despite lack of payment) if it hadn't been so damn obvious to everyone that Lotus was heading for a total car crash of a season this year.

To be fair it seems like the media are pretty harsh on Kimi. Last 2 years he was considered one of the very best drivers and everyone was amazed at his return to F1. This year he has a st car and is being shown up by his team mate (who most pundits seem to think is the best driver on the grid) and after only 8 races people are saying he should quit, he is past it, etc.

Clearly he isn't past it but he isn't able to deliver in this mediocre car.

Having said that I'm not surprised he is going to retire, he will be 36 at the end of 2015 and I think he is getting too old to hop into a mid field team and try to build it up around him and it is highly unlikely Ferrari or another top team will offer him another drive unless his 2015 performance is amazing.

He is basically in the same place as Button - quite keen to race on but no viable options if Ferrari turf him out. A very, very good driver but not really considered a great by anyone. There are loads of cheaper talented young drivers out there and it is hard for teams to justify the massive wage packet these former champions demand unless they are extra special and consistently outperform the car.



Edited by VolvoT5 on Friday 4th July 06:41

rubystone

11,252 posts

258 months

Sunday 6th July 2014
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Surely they'll consider Bianchi for a seat? This ought to hasten their offer of a contract extension for Alonso?

Likes Fast Cars

2,769 posts

164 months

Monday 7th July 2014
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rubystone said:
Surely they'll consider Bianchi for a seat? This ought to hasten their offer of a contract extension for Alonso?
So are you saying they'll cut him loose at the end of this year, try to keep Alonso, and sign Bianchi for 2015?

Another pay-off for Kimi from Ferrari.

Stu R

21,410 posts

214 months

Monday 7th July 2014
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Good. He's a good driver but unless someone builds a team around him he'll keep treading water.

Personally I'd love to see him in an LMP car

rubystone

11,252 posts

258 months

Monday 7th July 2014
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Ferrari do have a problem though. Alonso no doubt wants to jump ship to a team that is either better now than Ferrari, or is expected to be better in 2015 or 2016, such as McLaren,

Ferrari have a very short list of star drivers to bring on board. And it seems that their strategy always seems to pair a star driver with a safe pair of hands...the departure last year was,I think, both an insurance policy and to kick Alonso.

So that leaves Vettel as their number 1 target, doesn't it? With Bianchi in the 'number 2' car...

VladD

7,853 posts

264 months

Monday 7th July 2014
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I can see Kimi going to the WEC. It's a low profile series compared to F1, only half a dozen races a year (he gets his buzz, but plenty of time off) and if Ferrari go to WEC too, then he's already got experience and is a good fit.

dgmx5

151 posts

248 months

Monday 7th July 2014
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It's always hard to be able to tease out like for like abilities between drivers, but Kimi's return shows that Massa was not all that slow even in a team built around Alonso's style and yet Bottas has a firm edge over Massa.

Jettison Kimi at the earliest opportunity and parachute in Bottas as a second driver/greater challenge to Alonso than Kimi's been.

As for Vettel/Ricciardo, I understand that Vettel's style doesn't suit this new breed of car but Ricciardo looks a lot more race smart it not outright faster. Vettel is looking ordinary. Whether the same would have been the case 12 months ago is hard to tell. Just shows how hard it is to compare different drivers without considering the quirks of different cars.

colonel c

7,888 posts

238 months

Monday 7th July 2014
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Bottas has been on the podium twice for Williams. Why would he want to go the Ferrari in their current shambled state.


Jawaman

271 posts

132 months

Monday 7th July 2014
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How long is a piece of string and all that but how likely is it Ferrari will be genuine championship contenders within the next couple of seasons?

speedysoprano

224 posts

118 months

Monday 7th July 2014
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dgmx5 said:
It's always hard to be able to tease out like for like abilities between drivers, but Kimi's return shows that Massa was not all that slow even in a team built around Alonso's style and yet Bottas has a firm edge over Massa.

Jettison Kimi at the earliest opportunity and parachute in Bottas as a second driver/greater challenge to Alonso than Kimi's been.

As for Vettel/Ricciardo, I understand that Vettel's style doesn't suit this new breed of car but Ricciardo looks a lot more race smart it not outright faster. Vettel is looking ordinary. Whether the same would have been the case 12 months ago is hard to tell. Just shows how hard it is to compare different drivers without considering the quirks of different cars.
I'm sure I'm not the first person to wonder whether Ferrari's sights will be set on Daniel Ricciardo in the future, right?

Jasandjules

69,825 posts

228 months

Monday 7th July 2014
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What would be interesting is if he went into a "lower" team and started to fight their way up....


PaulG40

2,381 posts

224 months

Monday 7th July 2014
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I find it quite interesting that the more established and 'older' (read experienced) drivers struggle with these new cars, the younger up and coming stars are now starting to shine through. Obviously the merc being different, im thinking alonso, kimi, button, massa, vettal now too.

thegreenhell

15,115 posts

218 months

Thursday 18th June 2015
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Kimi Raikkonen slams F1 media over 2016 Ferrari paycut reports

When asked in Austria on Thursday about rumours of a paycut for 2016, Raikkonen criticised those in the media speculating on his future.

"I heard something about that - I'd be interested to know who wrote it," said the 2007 world champion.

"First of all you have no idea what my contract says. You never have.

"It's the bullst nonsense you guys come up with all the time. It's fine with me.

"Have you seen my contract? So you just come up with bullst - yes or no?

"You don't know the contract but you write stuff. You write stuff that's not true.

"Maybe you should start writing some things that make sense."

After admonishing the press, Raikkonen finished with: "Write what you want, I don't really care."

rofl