In a move that surprised exactly seven people, Fernando Alonoso will join Ferrari in 2010, if the Suderia can get rid of Kimi Räikkönen.
Räikkönen is due some $40-some-odd MEEEEYUN from Ferrari next year and he is reportedly in talks to return to McLaren Mercedes. If Ferrari pays Räikkönen to go away, and McLaren pays him to drive in 2010, Räikkönen could pull off the elusive Double Dip.
For some reason Kimi is perpetually bagged on as "unmotivated" or "distracted" when he doesn't win. I guess the 2007 World Championship and some podiums this year in a noticeably pigged out Ferrari don't get you as much respect as it used to. Stay tuned, because the F1 Silly Season is fixing to gear up.
Stating the obvious, this should be the first of many dominoes to fall. I imagine the next 3 weeks will have a lot of F1 driver announcements. I'm particularly interested in hearing from the new teams, especially USF1...
I like Kimi - I hope he ends up with a good team and stays in F1 for a few more years.
Posted by: Travis R | October 01, 2009 at 10:18 AM
I'm sure the Kimster's paid ouster is virtually a done deal or nobody wouldn't have been out there talking about it.
Posted by: pressdog | October 01, 2009 at 10:22 AM
I was a tad puzzled by the Speed crew's bagging on Kimi at Singapore as well. I know that Kimi's a tad...recalcitrant, I think is the word, but the way they were talking about him made it sound like he's been cruising around in the mid-field all year. I think I might have actually yelled "Didn't he win a race just three weeks ago, guys?" at my TV at one point. The fact of the matter is, Kimi's still clearly one of the 6-7 fastest guys in the sport on any given day, and if he's in the right mood, you can improve that the the top 2-3. I'd take that guy and put him in my car any day, and not just because of how much I enjoy his post-race interviews.
Posted by: The Speedgeek | October 01, 2009 at 02:16 PM
I don't understand the Kimi Bashing, either,. Yeah, he wasn't good last year, but, he won the champoinship in 07, has won a race this year, in an awful car.
Posted by: dylan | October 01, 2009 at 02:47 PM