When I had a private interview with Kimi on Thursday I asked for the truth and got the assurance that nobody from Ferrari has even hinted to him that his seat might be threathened.
Kimi signed a granite-hard contract for 2010 with Ferrari's president Luca di Montezemolo on Friday September 12th 2008 at 12.10 in Ferrari's garage in Monza. The team confirmed it the same afternoon.
After that Ferrari has been grinding their sponsor contract with the Spanish Banco Santander to begin from year 2010. In order to honour this event Ferrari is for the first time arranging their Ferrari-day on November 15th outside Italy on Valencia's track in Spain.
Even though the Ferrari-fans – the tifoso – are mostly Italian and the Ferrari-day is meant for them. However Luca Colajanni assured that there are Ferrari-fans all over the world and the event could as well be held in for example Helsinki.
The atmosphere within the team isn't of course the highest at the moment when Ferrari is for the first time in 16 years facing no victories at all. But Räikkönen isn't treated like some outsider there. Nothing implies that the countdown would have started.
If Kimi's contract would be broken it would mean that the 2007 WDC would still get a huge salary - according to estimates about 30 million euros.
As a matter of fact it would be taken away from Santander's millions. In a way Ferrari would save Kimi's salary if Santander would first pay the Finn out and then also stand for Alonso's salary.
Räikkönen would not fall on nothing in that case. There are still several teams who now closely follow the possible release of the Finnish driver to the drivers market. A year ago many thought Jenson Button was an ex-driver - and now the man is leading the championship serie.
Toyota, Brawn, Williams... He could have his pick - because he still has the same urge to race as he had before.
Nürburgring/Heikki Kulta
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