Kimi R to replace Mark W for 2012?

[theturbs]

As being discussed in the German press:

http://www.sport1.de/de/formel1/formel1_teams/arti...

Apparently Red Bull isn't best pleased about MW's comments about choosing to ignore team orders...

Raikkonen: "I never said that my F1 career is over"...

[fatboy69]

I hope not. Just when F1 was starting to get a little bit interesting someone wants to ruin it again & bring back one of the dullest F1 drivers ever.

Dreadful thought.

[williamp]

Its silly season- first LH, now Kimi in the red bull seat?

Hell we can all join in. I'll say DiResta for the Red bull seat*, LH to join his best mate Alonso at Ferrari. Mika Hakkinen to "un-retire" (like Prost, Mansell, Lauda etc) and go the the spare Mclaren seat. Rosberg to Force India, and Ralf Schumacher to join his brother at Mercedes.

Meanwhile, Yuji Ide has said he is "ready" for F1 in 2012.

• This would be great. I'm hoping DC is putting in lots of good words as a fellow scot.

Edited by williamp on Tuesday 12th July 19:33

[gtdc]

You forgot Nigel.

[John D.]

fatboy69 said:

I hope not. Just when F1 was starting to get a little bit interesting someone wants to ruin it again & bring back one of the dullest F1 drivers ever.

Dreadful thought.

You what?!

Dull in the post race interview perhaps.

I'd love to Kimi back in F1. Especially alongside Vettel at Redbull.

[Targarama]

gtdc said:

You forgot Nigel.

I heard Damon fancies a go and is arguing with Jacques V ... Not.

[DiscoColin]

Oh for pity's sake fanbois, reading too much into agent stories in the press is as futile in motorsport as it is for football. Kimi is not coming back to F1. Have you even looked at how many drivers Red Bull have on their books to pick a number 2 for Seb? They have even bought one of them (suitably antipodean as a demographic replacement for Webber) a seat on the back of the grid to get them seat time as their 2 existing teams don't provide enough seats... Maybe someone should start a thread about them trying to lure Ken Block away from his Monster backers with the offer of an F1 seat - every bit as plausible as a return for Kimi I fear...

[gingerpaul]

John D. said:

You what?!

Dull in the post race interview perhaps.

I'd love to Kimi back in F1. Especially alongside Vettel at Redbull.

If Kimi comes back I can only see it being in a Red Bull. A free supply of the stuff would be quite valuable, what with the amount of vodka he gets through.

[Jasandjules]

I think there is a certain Aussie whom Red Bull are promoting at the moment who might perhaps, at the end of this season, find himself in the main team?

[f1365]

Raikkonen will drive Red Bull Racing in 2012 -News in English

http://thisisf1.com/2011/07/12/raikkonen-will-driv...

[FraserLFA]

f1365 said:

Raikkonen will drive Red Bull Racing in 2012 -News in English

http://thisisf1.com/2011/07/12/raikkonen-will-driv...

Article said:

(“Stay behind Vettel” – but he passed gas)

you what!?

[TXWRX]

can't see kimi ever racing in F1 again, he was below par when he left hence ferrari picking a massa alonso combination and nobody coming up with anything for him since. Given the talent he seemed at one point to have its amazing to think he ended up being paid to leave the sport, that story is just the german one run through a direct translation program

[Eric Mc]

If Stirling Moss hadn't announced his retirement a month ago he'd be in the frame too. In fact, they should exhume Fangio and ask him if he fancies a go.

[zaphod42]

I've heard of worse ideas. Kimi in for a one year/two year blast. Ricciardo to a Torro Rosso seat as a backup.

Think of the PR. Kimi is one of the few drivers who genuinely never cared who his team mate was. It would give us a quarter of the grid as current or past WDCs (vettel, button, Hamilton, Alonso, Schumacher, kimi) ... Which makes for great tv - and wider f1 support - which is good.

What's not to like?

[fatboy69]

Err didnt Kimi walk away from Ferrari once he found out that Alonso was on his way? If he didnt care who his team-mate was he would have stayed.

He did, i think, care, he knew he wouldnt beat Alonso so he ran away. IMO anyway unless i'm proved wrong again!!!

[Murph7355]

fatboy69 said:

Err didnt Kimi walk away from Ferrari once he found out that Alonso was on his way? If he didnt care who his team-mate was he would have stayed.

He did, i think, care, he knew he wouldnt beat Alonso so he ran away. IMO anyway unless i'm proved wrong again!!!

He was paid to vacate the seat. I believe the year he did so he was the highest paid driver.

Don't Red Bull have a queue of drivers coming through their programme? Feeding into STR and then RBR if a slot opens? Vettel's a decent driver. Newey the best designer on the grid (and most influential person in F1 with regard to results). If they have a problem with Webber, I'd put in one of the other young drivers rather than rehash one of the current front runners (they have one of those already after all).

[JSquaredJim]

Bedazzled said:

Why are people touting this guy for a top drive? I just don't see it, his race performances have been dire so far.

Whay are people touting Di Resta for a top seat? You have to ask? Why would you not? His race performaces have been far from dire, he's outqualified his more experienced team mate on many occasions. He's been involved in a couple of excuseable incidents. You have to remember that it is his forst season and others in the same situation have been far worse.
Bedazzled, could you do better?

[Corpulent Tosser]

Bedazzled said:

Why are people touting this guy for a top drive? I just don't see it, his race performances have been dire so far.

I disagree, his performances have been good without being outstanding, but then he is not in an outstanding car.
He has consistently outqualified Sutil (who I rate), I am confident he would have scored points at Silverstone had the tyre screw up not happened (and of course the subsequent collision would never have happened)
His previous race history in whatever formula he competed has been excellent, why would he not be touted ?

[Toro Rosso]

Bedazzled said:

Why are people touting this guy for a top drive? I just don't see it, his race performances have been dire so far.

What do you want him to do - win in a Force India?

Winning in F1 is as much about the car as the driver (look at Vettel). With the equipment he has I think he has done well considering he had not raced open-wheel cars for a bit before and has not been to some of these tracks until this season.

[superkartracer]

fatboy69 said:

I hope not. Just when F1 was starting to get a little bit interesting someone wants to ruin it again & bring back one of the dullest F1 drivers ever.

Dreadful thought.

Prat... he will blow that finger wagging tit away, he was and still is the fastest F1 driver by far.