I assume this is also the place to be discussing the possibility of his retirement?

If so, I would like to suggest this article may have a lot to say about how Kimi feels right now. Obviously we cannot know but there is every possibility that Kimi just doesn't like F1 right now.

Interesting look at the psyche of top sportsmen.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79825

Q: (Jonathan Legard – BBC Sport) Question for Kimi: you talk about your options. I just wondered how important it would be if you decided to stay in Formula One, if you found another team, that you could do some rallying as well, like you did with Ferrari or whether that’s something of a stumbling block, wanting to do another form of motor sport as well as doing Formula One?

KR: It’s definitely going to be Formula One, it’s going to be in the contract that I’m allowed to do it (rallying). It’s not going to hurt you. Any kind of driving is always going to give you some experience, so I don’t see what’s the issue. It’s been working well this year, so as long as it doesn’t disturb what you’re doing in Formula One or whatever you do, I don’t see that there’s any problem.

I saw the same bulldog commitment from him through the whole season. He loves his [childhood dream] team, 'we win together, we lose together', he calls the MTC his second home as almost every week he's there. I see a big chance McLaren will be the only team for his whole F1 career.

"In many ways, though, I'm still the same. I'm still a fighter, and I still want to make sure that I keep my family, and my friends and my team close to me. And I'll be fighting to take home a win in Abu Dhabi – that's very important because a victory there will keep us all buzzing for the winter, and that's great for our motivation. And, of course, I'll be bringing the fight to the first race of next year – I'm already looing forward to it. It can't come soon enough."

So if Räikkönen is to be taken at face value he has agreement with McLaren.

Was just about to post that. He said that McLaren is the only choice and that he's definitely going to be in Formula One next year. That's pretty easy mathematics.

So it seems to me that Kimi has contract with McLaren now and Nico has contract with Brawn, and Mercedes probably wants to announce them both at the same time, after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

... and he also said he hasn't decided what he's going to do yet.

I'd learn towards the McLaren deal being more likely than him retiring though.

I think Kimi is doing his "retirement" talk only to fool media into believing that, he doesn't want to announce he has a contract in the bag as that is McLaren's or Mercedes' job when the time is right.

I think so too. Kimi to Mac is essentially certain now, just waiting for the announcement. Rosberg at Brawn with JB will be interesting, I like them both a lot. I've always liked Merc too, so if Brawn is to become Mercedes, that would be good. Also, if I could make a wish, I'd like to see Kimi do a year or two at Mercedes before retirement, that'd make his F1 career complete in my book. But he's more likely to just retire from F1 instead.

Kismet should be very upset - her Toyota dream is officially dead now. But mine - retiring - is still there.

he could also be referring to Vettel in a year or two...

its too early to say such a thing...when things were going very badly for mac in the beginning of the season,didnt he himself say ''it would be stupid to say that there is no chance ill move to another team in the future''.

all f1 drivers are success driven.no matter how long your relationship is with a team,things can fallout in no time..especially when things arent going your way..i wouldnt be the least bit surprised if he does move to ferrari or another team a couple of years down the road..

Kimi said to Finnish-tv that Mclaren is only team where he can drive for wins. Things should be clear within few days. He denied having talks with Toyota.

I can't recall such statement, just a funny one; 'certainly I wouldn't tell them f*ck off'. And it was to a question 'how would he respond to offers from other teams'. Apart from the joke, he said he would take the offers as compliments, but has no plan to leave McLaren. He had considered to quit, not to switch, but not too seriously, just as a random thought.

More importantly he said to MTV3 that (quote) "McLaren is the only option".

http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/f1/uutiset.shtm.../2009/10/985468

He also said that (quote) "It’s definitely going to be Formula One, it’s going to be in the contract that I’m allowed to do it (rallying)"

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79825

Those two together can only mean that the McLaren deal is done.

Yes, I've been weeping uncontrollably for the past four hours or so.

That said, I haven't given up yet. The love of my fanboy life may have said McLaren's the only option if he wants a winning car but perhaps he doesn't? And it's all fine and dandy to insist that he's not even talked to/with Toyota but there's still time to begin negotiations - it's not like Howett's incredibly busy fighting off a flock of eager future Toyota stars...

Why is everybody so certain that Kimi is going to McLaren? Is there new 'evidence'?

Raikkonen says McLaren the only option

Kimi/Robertsons really need to think hard, very hard indeed if McLaren IS the right option? :worried: WRC? Sabatical? Other things? this doesn't makes any sense to me at all...

at one time I wish that he ends his F1 career now and move on. But I just didn't want things to pan out like this for him Toyota? forget it, its better to stay home than to drive for toyota and get bashed even more by other fanboys...

oh Kimi

Ferrari:
Alonso:
Massa:

Guys, don't quote me. Its hard time for me. very hard indeed.

Only the words of Kimi himself who says McLaren is the only team he'll drive for.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79831

why do u change yer avatar every other day

Not true!

It was Andrea de Cesaris at Spa for ages.. then Alexandr the meerkat for ages.. then Alexandr fresh from the Jacuzzi, then last week I changed it to Ari Vatanen on election day.. once Todt won I changed it to a the Mosley and Todt puppet picture.. now I have Sergei, the meerkat from IT.

Actually, you may have a point!

Anyway, Sergei is here to stay.

Andre Agassi hated Tennis even while he was at the top of his game and while it was earning him £m's a year. Victoria Pendleton, despite the quote, has gone on to win further gold medals in cycling for Britain and will probably try to so so again in 2012. The fact that Kimi doesn't care so much what he does next year does not mean that he will retire.

What I posted was not a definitive conclusion of what will happen next year, not a bash, not to write him off, not to suggest he will never win, but to shine a light on how it might be for him right now and how he might really be feeling. He's won his WDC. Everything else, to him, might just be a cash bonus.

Then henceforth I shall refer to you as Sir Gay!

Sergei is the business, what's wrong with him?

EDIT: Oh, I just got it! Very clever!

Kimi's hated many/most(!) aspects of F1 for the past nine years already. If he was going to retire once he'd managed to achieve something, I suggest he would've done it already. On some level, he must actually enjoy the sport.

He enjoys the driving the most ofcourse. And maybe the second thing he enjoys the most are the grid-girls?

Then he'll be asked,
Reporter: How long have you signed the contract?
Kimi :'For a while now' *with a sheepish smile*

Err...that does sound familiar eh?

i hope the kimi to mac is announced soon....my nerves are taking a rite battering

Mclaren deal has been done already. They will announce it after this season.
Deal was agreed by both camps when they announced that he will leave Ferrari. Just one look Martins and Kimis faces in Singapore you could see that somekind pre-deal was done by then.

Just check about after 15 seconds


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmDxmmM2A_E

i just watched the youtube clip again....martin coud not hide his joy/anticipatian....

Yeah, Whitmarsh hasn't exactly got a poker face has he!

Reminds me of that clip with Fernando Alonso being interviewed by the Spanish media a couple of months ago.

Journalist asks him if he's joining Ferrari, Alonso says no, then they both crack up laughing.

Well acted, Mr. Whitmarsh *cough cough*

Whitmarsh dropped the first hint when he made a comment like

' Alonso's move to Ferrari is going to have an effect on the drivers market .... '

that day ... everyone was more keen on proving the Alonso - Ferrari story .
only a few wondered what effect does Alonso's move to Ferrari make on Mclaren's driver lineup .

Actually it's not true.

It sounds like Kimi and Martin had a verbal deal, with the details to be sorted out by the Robertsons. They sailed in with their hopes high for some more megabucks and upset Norby.

Anyway Kimi doesn't seem to think it depends on the Mac/Merc negotiations over the weekend.

...but love/like is not blind.

It is like this: when I read about F1 in the 1950s, I don't get nostalgic about Ferrari, I get some good nostalgic vibes from Mercedes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W196

That's why I'd love to see Brawn become Mercedes, and some of the two of Kimi, Jenson, Nico as drivers. (There was a long time when I wanted to see Jenson at McLaren too. Check my posting history.)

Hopefully this is the end game playing out now. And this saga can finally be clarified. How it will end I wouldn't like to guess.

If this final episode of the year-long soap opera gets sorted out, what are we supposed to do all winter

Make threads questioning the validity of his contract with McLaren.

Hi, I'd vote for rally. He would be more happy there.

My vote is for sofa.

ok, another good option

I'd vote my sofa too.

possible, knowing he got/will get nice amount of money

I suppose vodka is always a viable option.
Joke.

no its not a joke

That was the first time I got my Kimi-to-McLaren doubts.

You want to make my life dull?