ONLY A CONTRACT THAT PLEASES KIMI WILL GUARANTEE HIS CONTINUANCE IN F1

by - 10/28/2009 01:57:00 a.m.


In the latest exclusive interview Turun Sanomat had with Kimi Räikkönen he doesn't draw too big lines but let's understand that his will to continue in F1 is as hard as it was when he signed with the now terminated contract with the Italian team for 2010.

At what point are the negotiations with McLaren?
– The contract depends on so many factors. It will be made if I get a contract that pleases me. There are many small things, Räikkönen said.

Are you prepared to make compromises in these negotiations?
– Of course some compromises can be made but it makes no sense to do something you don't have to do. It leads nowhere.

Do these negotiations have some time schedule?
– I don't have any time schedule but of course all the teams have their own time schedule. I am not in a hurry here. There is no shortage of time before something should happen.

You said a while ago in the international press conference that it's McLaren or nothing?
– Yup. It makes no sense to go to another F1-team. I have nothing going on with Toyota even though they say that we negotiate. We haven't talked with them. It's completely their own story.

What about Lewis Hamilton? They say that McLaren has grown around him after your departure?
– Hamilton doesn't have any meaning in this case. These open things have nothing to do with Lewis. For me it's all the same who drives the other car there.

How important part in the negotiations is the freedom to drive rally on your free time?
– I will get that freedom. It's not up to that.

David and Steve Robertson are your managers. How much do they decide for you?
– Whatever I do next year is completely my own decision. Nobody has any influence in it. The Robertson's do what they have to do. In the final games it's me who makes the decision. It just has to be a contract that pleases me. Nothing else matters.

I'm sure you will move on to rally someday. What kind of car would you get from rally for next season?
– I don't know. Of course I would have to learn it but it's good if you have immediately the best car. It's not cool to drive bad cars. The truth still is that wherever I go it takes time before I learn it completely.
– At the moment there are a few top cars in WRC. Two factory teams and they have their own number two cars in the private teams. In principle it's going to change a lot after a year when the 2000's along with a lot of new teams are coming.

What about the talks from Ferrari that you would consider keeping a year off?
– I am going to do something next year for sure. Whatever happens. I have all kinds of options of what I can do. I just don't have the energy to go through them with you until I know what is going to happen here.

What kind of feelings do you have towards Ferrari when the co-operation doesn't end in the way you would have wanted it to end?
– I really don't have any feelings towards them. And I haven't got anything against Ferrari. This just has been a time that I'm sure is great to look back to when I'm old.

What is your relationship with Jean Todt?
– We have a good relationship. He has got nothing to do with me leaving. It was with him I made the contract back in the time. Jean is a great guy - just like most of the others at Ferrari.

The endseason's results have surprised even Ferrari. How much of will to show has there been?
– Well it most certainly has nothing to do with a will to show. We just got the car changed in the way I wanted. We were quite good earlier but the car just wasn't good enough. When it was improved it started to go better.

Your race engineer Andrea Stella said that the car was as competitive in Interlagos as it was in Monaco in the spring.
– Yup. If we would have had more luck we could have even fought for the victory. I don't know if I could have matched Red Bull's speed but we would have come in 2nd at least.

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