If Kimi does not sign with Brawn for 2010, and Schumacher gets the ride...I think you'll see Brawn sign up Vettel after 2010 for the seat Schumacher took. Thus, opening up two potential seats at Red Bull for 2011.

macphisto - 20 November 2009 02:48 PM

^Are you a fan of the WRC Anzie? Mikko Hirvonen?

Of course I am


I will tell you how it started. Some time in the 80's, I was a small kid when we were on Summer holiday, and just happened to be in the city of Jyväskylä, Finland, just at the same time when Group B rally cars were racing there in the Rally of the Thousand Lakes. It was earth-shaking stuff! The noise the cars made caused such a trauma to me that I have never been the same after that. I still remember it very well when the Lancias and the Peugeots stormed by and I was like almost crying because it was so beautiful.

Later when I had grown up a little, we went to see some special stages like "properly", not just by accident like on the first time. I remember seeing Miki Biasion, Didier Auriol, Carlos Sainz and Juha Kankkunen! Thanks for my dad for those memories, he took me there. I am forever thankful I got to see those drivers and their cars from a close distance.

The Lancia Delta HF Integrale was my favourite of the cars. I think the build quality of those road cars is pretty crap (normal for cars coming from Italy), but the rally car was amazing.


But hey, I'm even much more a fan of F1. I definitely want to see Kimi stay in F1. But I will accept it if he doesn't want to. We should respect his decisions, it's his life, not ours.

^ That's great. I was asking because we just got coverage of the WRC back here in the US. Right now it's behind and showing replays of last year's rally's but next year it will be same day. I really like Hirvonen. He's the David in the Ford facing the Goliath of Loeb in the Citroen. Good stuff. I hate to lose Kimi in F1 as well but it would be fun to watch him at these rallies on Sunday nights.

A few things that have been mentioned:

Kimi to RBR in 2011 for a chance to rally openly at the same time? They might make it easier, but you can't tell me someone would happily offer Kimi a fast car to take out whenever he was bored, or that he couldn't just buy whatever team he wanted, or that he could pen a deal with SOME rally manufacturer given he has a F3 Europe team under Honda and a Formula BMW team. Obviously the man can handle some business. I really don't know why teams don't offer any driver freedoms on off weekends that would let Kimi drive, since a happy and motivated driver who wants 2 days off a month for a hobby is better than one you hound every day.

All-German Mercedes? Their statements thusfar have been similar to USF1's on patriotism, which is "eventually, but let's not implode our first year or two".

The fact that Kobayashi has now appeared in literally every thread of an A-grade driver's seat for next year continues to amuse me to no end. Sad that he and Kimi are still at the top of my list of must-sees and it's getting probable that both are gone.

Salaries? Since we know Jenson went to McLaren for challenge over cash (I'll trust him on it), that lack of greed combined with Fernando's absolute greed have ripped things up quite sadly. Sure, Kimi is greedy too, we that's part of what we love about him, and for some reason I like him even more when he turns into a jerk for a day.

madsomnambulist - 20 November 2009 08:57 PM

...given he (Kimi) has a F3 Europe team under Honda.....

Actually although his F3 team did run Mugen-Honda engines back in 2005 when they launched Bruna Senna into F3, for 2006 they changed to Mercedes engines and still are using them AFAIK.