Discuss the sport you love with other motorsport fans
Raikkonen: Money prompted Lotus exit
Kimi Raikkonen reveals that money - or in this case a lack of - was the reason why he elected to leave Lotus
Kimi Raikkonen has revealed that financial concerns were the main reason why he elected to leave Lotus to rejoin Ferrari for the 2014 F1 season.
Raikkonen will leave the Enstone-based team at the end of the current season to rejoin the team that carried him to the championship title back in 2007.
Lotus had been keen to keep hold of the 33-year-old for another season but speaking to the press for the first time since his deal was announced, Raikkonen revealed that it was money that had ultimately swayed him towards Ferrari.
"I like to race, that's the only reason why I'm here and it doesn't matter what team it is," he said. "The reasons why [I haven't been paid] you will have to ask from the team, but the reason why I left the team is purely from the money side - the thing is, I haven't got my salary.
“It's an unfortunate thing but I want to try to help the team as much as I can."
Raikkonen will now team up with Fernando Alonso in a driver line-up that has split opinion, with many feeling that Ferrari now has the quickest line-up but could struggle to control the pair as they fight to secure bragging rights within the team.
Raikkonen however said he was confident that there would be no issues when the two former champions start working together.
"I don't see the reason why it won't work," he said. "We are old enough to know what we are doing and the team is for sure working for the right things. If there is something I'm sure we can talk it through; it's not like we are 20 years old anymore.
"I might be wrong and time will tell but I'm pretty sure all things will be good. For sure there will be hard fights on the race circuit and sometimes things go wrong, but I'm pretty sure it will be okay.
"I don't think it will be too difficult to go there and do well. The car is different, and the most difficult thing is the cars [in 2014] are different. Whoever makes the best car will make the most out of it."
There is no question that Kimi Raikkonen is a great driver and on his day can pull off things which others would not even try. I am a fan of his too but there are times when he seems to lose motivation for reasons that are not always easy to explain. he is too much of an introver to guess what is going on within him.
In 2008 Raikkonen, as the running F1 WDC, was beaten fair and square by Massa. With the greatest respect to Massa's ability, I do not believe that he is in Kimi's class. For some reason, Kimi switched off that killer instinct somewhere on the way.
Now that he is going to Ferrari presumably to end his F1 career there, I hope he once again is the great driver that we saw in 2005 and 2007. It will ge great to see him fling that scarlet car around various tracks.
This one is for Hammer.....
This one is for Hammer.....
This one is for Hammer.....
Put a Merc logo on it and we're sorted.
This one is for Hammer.....
Put a Merc logo on it and we're sorted.
This one is for Hammer.....
Put a Merc logo on it and we're sorted.
Do you know what, as soon as I posted it I thought, damn I should of put a three pointed star on it!
lets get real here!This one is for Hammer.....
That's the he'scool bus.
See our F1 related articles too!
