rickoblue - 07 November 2009 01:03 PM

It has been stated, "Ferrari will be my last team in F1.". Is it not ironic that at Ferrari, those wishes seem to come true.

Yes but that's because some people take the F1 term: "you're only as good as your LAST race." literally.

Brawnista - 07 November 2009 12:03 PM

If anyone has done their own business contracts or mortgages or wills and estate planning with their lawyers (if the lawyer is any good) , you'd know first hand that every contingency is spelled out in gruesome detail down to the letter and cent. And these are fairly simple relative to sports contracts with incentive clauses etc. Sports contracts are even worst in contingency details. And these are people in F1 who do this kind of stuff dealing with numbers that you and I can't imagine all the time like breathing - it's almost "automatic" or "instinctive" to them.

Nebulous (to us) is a good adjective to use. Of course it'd be beyond our scope of imagination on here. We couldn't come up with stuff they've seen a million times before and some things to consider that we can't even in our wildest dreams imagine for contingency. For sure, there must've been conditions for an escape clause. Most smart people have an exit strategy planned.

Sorry but there's nothing in this thread that will remotely come close to the complexity of the sell job Ferrari did to get Kimi to OK it. He sounds really "comfortable". He can "take it or leave it" kind of sounding comfortable if you know what I mean. They bought him out fairly well if he's that relaxed and it has nothing to do with his motivation. He's not burnt out like some of us plebs out here at our jobs (if we still have one).


Robertson is leveraging from a position of strength as if he was negotiating for a new contract and the teams are taking the Ferrari/Santander/Renault buy out for Alonso into account. Robertson obviously was told by Kimi not to.


Kimi said he'll be racing somewhere next yr one way or the other and frankly he's already got his pay owed for 2010 already in his bank account from the way he's negotiating. So why would he settle for a ridiculously lowball buyout for less than that amount ?

BTW one can google 25M and Raikkonen and contract and find the articles stating his estimated salary (speculated or not) and determine objectively from what source (reliability-wise or verification-wise) it came. And BTW it's 25M Euros on some sources and 25M Pounds on others not $25 M US (which is less than either Euros or Pounds).

James Allen:

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2009/10/thoughts-on-the-next-driver-market-moves/


Raikkonen to McLaren

"...From McLaren’s point of view the performance of Raikkonen this summer, since it became apparent that he was being pushed out, has been stunning. It shows that he still has the fire in his belly.

McLaren believe that he will perform at his best next year because he will be highly motivated to show everyone, but particularly Ferrari, what he can do. So it’s a good moment to get a very motivated Raikkonen. As for handling him and Hamilton in the same team, he isn’t someone who plays political games, so the atmosphere in the team will be one of straight competition....If it happens it will be the first time a team has had two world champions in it since Senna and Prost were together at McLaren in 1989!"

I don't know about you folks but this one ranks right up there in star power entertainment for F1 like Schumi's comeback. 2 WDC's as teammates at McLaren since the glory days of Senna-Prost against the "All-Latin" Passion line-up of the Scuderia next yr on the comeback yr for both perennial-contending major teams. It would have the billing of a major sporting event let alone racing event.

This against the David (of David & Goliath) spirits of RBR and Brawn GP (with Mercedes backing - does that make them David any more ?).

I'm really looking forward to next March now if Kimi signs on to the Show. It'll save Bernie's hind end if he does. Maybe he should sweeten the pot with some of his own money because he'll get it back and then some ?

Some good points in there. I think this went down like the GM Ross Perot buyout. Whatever the complexities, I still think Kimi cannot drive for a reduced salary for fear of setting precedent. Driver managers would vilify him in private if that happened and it would send ripples of discontent all through the sport. I also think they are looking closely at Buttons dilemna right now, once given up, your salary is devilishly hard to recover.

Brawnista - 07 November 2009 12:37 PM

"Co-incidently" they both left (I won't use the term pushed out for Schumi since it's "unconfirmed" and Schumi is still "hanging around" the "alleged pusher") with the initiatives & blessings of the same team boss.
Alonso will become stale eventually like an old supermodel past her prime and the new flavor of the month will replace him...cue Vettel ? (after all, we're all just "pieces of meat" to the "plastic beautiful people" crowd, right ?)

Did you see Schumi at italy when he said that

we was going to retire it look like they push

him out for Kimi I'm hope Alonso will have

some thing cooking on stand by because he will

need it! If your dead last Ferrari will look

else where quickly!or just move up one of

their ten drivers on standby!

It would be niice to know Kimi's feeling but I dont know if he has any?!?!?

Why would Kimi let Ferrari off the hook?

Maybe Kimi doesn't want to be there anymore. I haven't heard anyone mention that possibility. While it would be wrong to say that Kimi doesn't care about money, I think he in reality just has a better perspective on his situation in life than 99% of other high profile professional athletes. He has become filthy stinking rich doing something he loves, and if he is in a situation he is unhappy with, then why not take 17mil$ to leave instead of staying for 25mil$.

Now why would Kimi want to leave Ferrari you ask. I don't know, and with Kimi, we may never know. Remember, this is the guy that said "driving bad cars is not cool." The F60 was a bad car.

stevesnj - 08 November 2009 05:47 PM

It would be niice to know Kimi's feeling but I dont know if he has any?!?!?

And once again, the myth (jokingly) is perpetuated without the balanced facts of reality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGCJMdUwOaE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq0e1mMffm8

oops, there he is showing emotion again...

^ Nice 'Nista, Annihilator of False Connotations

Steve was just kiddin' around...

^ Regardless, I think some people are convinced the Ice Man is Ice cold, unmotivated and doesn't have a heart.

Kimi, you're such a Scrooge!