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[f1ea]

Now isn't this a bomb.

I'm pretty sure it will be made to happen, as everything has been carefully orchestrated to place Alonso at Ferrari for next season.
i would have preferred Alonso + Kimi at Ferrari for the sake of competition... but Kimi + Lewis should give some freaking fine racing. Definitely a strong driver lineup for Mclaren. I'm sure Kimi wont give a crap about the popularity Lewis has within Mclaren or whatever...

F1-Live:
Raikkonen and McLaren
Kimi Raikkonen has signed an "outline agreement" to kick off a second tenure with the McLaren team beginning next season, the Mirror newspaper reported on Sunday.

The British newspaper said the 29-year-old Finn, who raced with the Woking based outfit between 2002 and 2006, must first reach an agreement with Ferrari, with whom he is under contract for one more season.

The Mirror cited "paddock sources" in claiming that Raikkonen is prepared to vacate his contracted Ferrari seat in 2010, but only if the famous Italian outfit pays his salary. The newspaper estimated Raikkonen's 2010 Ferrari contract at nearly US $49m.

The report also said the news ties in with Nico Rosberg's link with Brawn and the Brackley team's burgeoning relationship with Mercedes-Benz.

The German manufacturer Mercedes was said to be pushing for Rosberg to replace Heikki Kovalainen at McLaren, but may now have resolved to push the German driver to Brawn and increase its involvement with the Ross Brawn-led outfit.

Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International

[McLaren]

If it happens I'm very happy with that

[Gaz]

http://twitter.com/TheFifthDriver

There have been a lot of questions and rumours about our driver line-up for 2010...

Don't believe everything you read. Be patient. We are. We haven't made any decisions yet...

- McLaren Twitter Page.

[billindenver]

Am I reading that right? Kimi would be driving for McLaren while Ferrari paid his salary, plus Alonso's? If that were to happen I would lose what little respect for Ferrari I have. In today's financial environment, if they throw 49 million out the window in order to upgrade from Kimi to Alonso I would be more than shocked.

[f1ea]

Don't believe everything you read. Be patient. We are. We haven't made any decisions yet...

- McLaren Twitter Page.

Which means: don't believe what we say either....

[Gaz]

Don't believe everything you read. Be patient. We are. We haven't made any decisions yet...

- McLaren Twitter Page.

Which means: don't believe what we say either....

Possibly, but there pretty much denying it right there.

[cap-dude]

Thus the name: Silly Season.

There isn't actually any reason to believe Kimi will go to McLaren next year. People just make guesses and then clutch at straws to make news. We just won't know until someone says something, and drivers actually start getting confirmed.

But considering the awkward situation with Massa and Ferrari, which means Alonso won't be confirmed soon, then Kimi won't be confirmed soon, so the McLaren seat won't be confirmed soon, I think we can give up on silly season since nothing will really happen until this season is over.

[bud]

Komi cmon

[Juliet P]

I sooooo want this to happen!!

[Gaz]

Apparently Kimi and Martin were having a meeting at the Mclaren Technology Centre today, when Kanye West walked in and interrupted and said Alonso was better.

[JamesD89]

It was reported in the Mirror? That's on a par with it being reported in Heat magazine - he could be going anywhere yet.

[Frosty]

Yeah sources aren't to great but i don't think this is much of a shock Whitmarsh has been complementing kimi a lot recently and Rosberg has been increasingly linked with Brawn rather than McLaren. I think HK is definitely going after last weekends performance. It really depends if Massa can make a full recovery and if Ferrari are willing to pay the price to get Alonso for 2010.

[McLaren Fan]

Don't believe everything you read. Be patient. We are. We haven't made any decisions yet...

- McLaren Twitter Page.

Which means: don't believe what we say either....

Possibly, but there pretty much denying it right there.

Hmm, not really. The statement oozes PR speak. And, when you think about events lately, the move has been looking more likely.

[JamesD89]

Yeah sources aren't to great but i don't think this is much of a shock Whitmarsh has been complementing kimi a lot recently and Rosberg has been increasingly linked with Brawn rather than McLaren. I think HK is definitely going after last weekends performance. It really depends if Massa can make a full recovery and if Ferrari are willing to pay the price to get Alonso for 2010.

They want 2 of the best drivers, rather than a support driver - that being the case I think Raikkonen's their best option. I'd be inclined to think it's his best option too, you can just never be sure what's going on in his head.

[darwin dali]

Am I reading that right? Kimi would be driving for McLaren while Ferrari paid his salary, plus Alonso's? If that were to happen I would lose what little respect for Ferrari I have. In today's financial environment, if they throw 49 million out the window in order to upgrade from Kimi to Alonso I would be more than shocked.

Aren't the 49m for the entire contract, i.e., 3 years? So, they'd only pay the last year out?