Kimi leaves F1 to go to Rallying
BenB - 18/11/09 at 12:02 PM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8365967.stm
Because "McLaren can't afford him"
(or really cos Button's going there now)
BenB - 18/11/09 at 12:03 PM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8363892.stm
speedyxjs - 18/11/09 at 12:09 PM
There was talk of ferrari paying him 16 mill to not race for any other f1 team this year.
Seems this could be true?
Steve G - 18/11/09 at 12:18 PM
He wont be missed - not in my house anyway. As far as i'm concerned his greed and the over-inflated opinion he seems to have of himself has
caused him to shoot himself in the foot. He says he wants a rally car capable of winning the WRC next year and to be paid to do it - well frankly i
think he's in for a shock. I dont think a top team will take him on myself.
In F1 - give me Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel, Massa etc - they'd all be in my team and earning more than Kimi
matt_gsxr - 18/11/09 at 12:23 PM
I expect he will bend quite a few cars this season in Rallying.
I like the idea of being paid 20million Euros for not doing something. I can see why his agent wasn't afraid to mention that to the BBC.
Matt
mrwibble - 18/11/09 at 01:11 PM
Whoever is driving in ross brawns car next year stands a very good chance of winning, shame it wont be anyone british. I'm sure only employing
Germans breaks some kind of European law...
carpmart - 18/11/09 at 02:13 PM
quote:
Originally posted by mrwibble
Whoever is driving in ross brawns car next year stands a very good chance of winning, shame it wont be anyone british. I'm sure only employing
Germans breaks some kind of European law...
D Beddows - 18/11/09 at 02:21 PM
I think more top drivers/riders should try other forms of motorsport to be honest (and not just DTM.....) - Valentino Rossi has absolutely nothing
left to prove on a motorbike for example so lets see him in a car
I always considered Nigel Mansel to be a complete w*nker but when he went to Indy Cars (when it was still a serious sport) the year after he was F1
champion and won that too he proved he was probably one of the best race car drivers ever......... ok it was still roundy roundy circuit racing but
oval racing is very different to circuit racing. I do still think he's a w*nker though 
WRC isn't what it was so I suspect someone significant will sign Kimi up if only for the advertising - but then it's up to him!
James - 18/11/09 at 02:58 PM
quote:
Originally posted by speedyxjs
There was talk of ferrari paying him 16 mill to not race for any other f1 team this year.
Seems this could be true?
Absoloutely. He's still under contract to them, he's effectively on gardening leave. He can drive for someone else, but only if he ditches
the 17m Euros!
Mclaren would have to beat that, and also, Kimi hates all the sponsorship, publicity stuff that Mclaren make you do.
But they still love him at Macca for his ability to do lap after identical lap and therefore make 'scientific' changes to the car and
properly analyse the results of the changes.
But I guess Button and Hamilton are getting pretty experienced now and can help the engineers setup the car.
Cheers,
James
James - 18/11/09 at 03:01 PM
quote:
Originally posted by mrwibble
Whoever is driving in ross brawns car next year stands a very good chance of winning, shame it wont be anyone british. I'm sure only employing
Germans breaks some kind of European law...
A good chance yes, but perhaps not as good as driving a Mclaren! The Mclaren car was clearly the fastest at the end of the season- far faster than
Brawn- look at the race results, Hamilton was the highest points scoring driver at the end of the season.
Apart from the larger fuel tanks (and therefore 20cm longer cars) for 2010 the aero design of the cars is very similar- so if Mclaren had a very fast
car at the end of this season, they'll have a fast one at the beginning of this season!
Cheers,
James
Steve G - 18/11/09 at 04:23 PM
quote:
Originally posted by James
A good chance yes, but perhaps not as good as driving a Mclaren! The Mclaren car was clearly the fastest at the end of the season- far faster than
Brawn- look at the race results, Hamilton was the highest points scoring driver at the end of the season.
Apart from the larger fuel tanks (and therefore 20cm longer cars) for 2010 the aero design of the cars is very similar- so if Mclaren had a very fast
car at the end of this season, they'll have a fast one at the beginning of this season!
Cheers,
James
Totally agree with the above. This season was very much one of two halves.... with Brawn getting a huge jump on everyone on the double diffuser and
walking away with the first half of the season, but then Red Bull and then McLaren catching up and passing Brawn. I'd say Brawn were at best the
3rd quickest and probably more like 4th quickest car by the end of the season - and frankly I dont think they have a chance next season of getting
into the top 3.
Ferrari wrote this season off a while ago to concentrate on next years car - with Alonso and Massa they are surely going to be back up there. I'd
say the sensible money should go on Ferrrari, Mclaren and Red Bull to share the top 3 spots in the Constructors, and probably the top 5 in the
Individual championships.
speedyxjs - 18/11/09 at 04:53 PM
quote:
Originally posted by James
Apart from the larger fuel tanks (and therefore 20cm longer cars) for 2010 the aero design of the cars is very similar- so if Mclaren had a very fast
car at the end of this season, they'll have a fast one at the beginning of this season!
Cheers,
James
That is the only issue i can see with the Hamilton/Button pairing. Hamilton like a very tail happy car whereas Buttons driving style is very smooth.
so, who do they build the car around?
locogeoff - 18/11/09 at 05:40 PM
quote:
Originally posted by speedyxjs
There was talk of ferrari paying him 16 mill to not race for any other f1 team this year.
Seems this could be true?
I was under the impression they paid the 16M just for him feck off and eat someone elses icecream, as he appears to have no passion.
Steve G - 18/11/09 at 05:59 PM
quote:
Originally posted by locogeoff
I was under the impression they paid the 16M just for him feck off and eat someone elses icecream, as he appears to have no passion.
That was my impression too - they had a contract with him and basically bought him out, so he's free to do whatever he wanted. Still wanted a
Hoooooooge salary off McLaren for next year on top of the 20m euros. Greedy fecker!!!
James - 18/11/09 at 06:22 PM
No, he gets 25m Euros if he drives for them, 17m Euros if he does nothing in F1 for the year.
Unless he gets another drive he's still under contract to Ferrari.
Nice work if you can get it!
Cheers,
James
Canada EH! - 18/11/09 at 06:43 PM
This may be good for Kimi, no chance to party all week, rallys run the whole week.
mrwibble - 18/11/09 at 08:30 PM
quote:
Originally posted by James
quote:
Originally posted by mrwibble
Whoever is driving in ross brawns car next year stands a very good chance of winning, shame it wont be anyone british. I'm sure only employing
Germans breaks some kind of European law...
A good chance yes, but perhaps not as good as driving a Mclaren! The Mclaren car was clearly the fastest at the end of the season- far faster than
Brawn- look at the race results, Hamilton was the highest points scoring driver at the end of the season.
Apart from the larger fuel tanks (and therefore 20cm longer cars) for 2010 the aero design of the cars is very similar- so if Mclaren had a very fast
car at the end of this season, they'll have a fast one at the beginning of this season!
Cheers,
James
mclaren solved the issues resulting from a heavier car with weird weight distribution from a shed load of batteries and kers paraphenalia. And at the
end of the season with said power boost button they were very fast. this season kers has been ditched? so its probably back to square 1 for mclaren.
Ross brawn has the genius and team leadership that seems somewhat lacking after ron dennis left mclaren?