Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Universal Soldiers: F1 aces Raikkonen, Vettel and Kubica lured by rallying]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/22/universal-soldiers-f1-aces-raikkonen-vettel-and-kubica-lured-b/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/22/universal-soldiers-f1-aces-raikkonen-vettel-and-kubica-lured-b/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/22/universal-soldiers-f1-aces-raikkonen-vettel-and-kubica-lured-b/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



It used to be that a racing driver would pick his form of motorsport at the beginning of his career and stick with it for the duration. Sure, there have been a few notable exceptions - especially among the Finns - but these days, it seems as if the exceptions are gaining on the norm. F1 drivers like Juan Pablo Montoya are moving to NASCAR, WRC aces like Sebastien Loeb and MotoGP champs like Valentio Rossi are trying their hand at F1, while F1 champs like Michael Schumacher are checking out motorbike racing. But the latest trend has a growing number of current, active Formula One drivers contesting rallies on the world stage.

The most notable is Kimi Raikkonen, who has driven a few rallies behind the wheel of his own Punto Abarth. Now that he's looking to sit out of the next F1 season, all indications are that the departing Ferrari driver will find his way into the WRC. While downplaying the lingering prospect of the 2007 Formula One champion racing for the newly-christened Mercedes Grand Prix team next season, his managers are reportedly hard at work to get him a WRC drive for 2010. The most likely scenario would place Raikkonen with Citroen: Both the French rally team and the Finnish driver are sponsored by Red Bull, and the rapprochement could could pave the way for Kimi to return to F1 in 2011 for Red Bull Racing.

Even Red Bull's current F1 ace, Sebastian Vettel, has reportedly expressed interest in trying his hand at rallying, although his team principal is reportedly against the idea. After winning the Nations Cup at the Race of Champions together with Schumacher three years running, the young German has certainly demonstrated the versatility of his talent.

Meanwhile, the highly-rated Robert Kubica is preparing for his second rally since leaving BMW Sauber for the Renault F1 team. After a dismal first attempt, the Pole is set to return to the wheel of a Renaultsport Clio R3 Maxi for the final round of the French Rally Championship at Var next weekend. If Kubica manages to finish this time around, we could yet see more F1 drivers following him onto the rally scene.

[Sources: Autosport and F1-Live | Image: Clive Mason/Getty]

Universal Soldiers: F1 aces Raikkonen, Vettel and Kubica lured by rallying originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The times they are a-changin' in Maranello. As if the departures of Michael Schumacher, Ross Brawn and Jean Todt over the past few years wasn't enough to shake things up for the Scuderia, a new round of change-ups is looming on the horizon.

First up is Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 World Champion who Ferrari is paying to vacate his seat in order to make room for Fernando Alonso. Following earlier reports that Kimi would stand to make more by sitting out next season, the Finnish driver's manager has reportedly announced that he'll be taking a sabbatical. This, after negotiations with McLaren broke down over such issues as salary, promotional obligations and freedom to drive the occasional rally. Raikkonen's repeatedly reiterated that he's only interested in a winning team, and could take the year to hone his rally skills instead. A tie-in with Red Bull could provide him with a WRC drive and a return to F1 for 2011.

Meanwhile, Kimi's predecessor, Michael Schumacher, is reportedly changing his role with the team as well. For the past couple of seasons, Schumi has served as a special adviser to the Scuderia, often showing his smiling mug on the pit wall at various grand prix events. But while the seven-time World Champion has signed on for another three years to help with the development of future Ferrari road cars, his F1 role with the team has apparently ended. In an effort to sort out why Schumi won't be active with the team any longer, speculation has escalated that Michael could reunite with Ross Brawn and return to the cockpit as a driver for the newly christened Mercedes Grand Prix team, while others suggest he could join his former boss Jean Todt with a role in the FIA.

Finally, Luca di Montezemolo is eying a change in his role as well. The chairman isn't leaving his post as head of either Ferrari or parent company Fiat, but he has announced that he's likely to step down as head of the Formula One Teams Association. The representative body was formed to negotiate on the teams' behalf with the FIA and Formula One Management, but with Montezemolo's longtime underling Todt now heading the FIA, many have been citing a potential conflict of interest. For his part, Montezemolo says he wants to concentrate on his job as chairman of the Italian automakers. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Sources: Autosport and Autocar | Image: Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty]

REPORT: Ferrari figures Raikkonen, Schumacher and Montezemolo to leave their F1 posts originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you scoffed at the notion that unionized auto workers were being paid not to work, you're going to love this one: According to reports emerging from Europe, Kimi Raikkonen could stand to make more money next year if he doesn't race than if he does.

The bizarre circumstance comes down to the terms of his departure from Scuderia Ferrari. Kimi was reportedly offered a whopping 17 million euros in order to make room for an incoming Fernando Alonso, but that's only if he doesn't find a suitable seat with another team. If he does, Ferrari will only be required to pay the 2007 world champion 5 million 10 million euros (corrected). Seeing an opportunity to get a world champion on the cheap, McLaren is reportedly offering Raikkonen only 5 million euros to drive for them, knowing that Ferrari - and migrating sponsor Santander - will cough up the rest.

That means Kimi would make 15 million euros if he drove again for McLaren next year - which is tipped to be the one and only team he's considering - but 17 million if he sat the year out. Of course negotiations are ongoing, but all things being equal, the Finn could be looking at one very lucrative year off.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via F1-Live | Image: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty]

Mo' Money, Fewer Problems: Can Raikkonen earn more by not racing? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you thought the series of driver changes in the middle of this ongoing Formula One season was something, it's nothing compared to the grand game of musical chairs expected to ensue as the season draws to a close. With BMW closing up shop, several new teams joining the grid and at least a couple of former world champions switching teams for next year's championship, we're shaping up for the biggest jumble the F1 circus has seen in years. Follow the jump to see how it's unfolding so far.

[Image: Clive Mason/Getty]

Continue reading End of Year Shuffle: 14 Formula One teams swap drivers for 2010

End of Year Shuffle: 14 Formula One teams swap drivers for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raikkonen drives Rally Finland in a Fiat Punto Abarth

The World Rally Championship is targeting the participation of four major manufacturers within the next two seasons, and according to the latest scuttlebutt, they just might get what they are wishing for. At the turn of the millennium, the premier rally series had seven manufacturers, but series organizers and promoters reportedly feel that four would make for a more competitive environment.

Suzuki and Subaru recently withdrew their works teams from the championship, leaving Ford and Citroën as the only manufacturers in the sport together with the independent customer teams. Both Volkswagen and Fiat are expected to launch WRC efforts in the near future, but it's Fiat's initiative that's garnering the most interest in the motorsport press, as it's rumored to include one very big name.

According to rumors, Kimi Raikkonen will leave Formula One and Scuderia Ferrari to lead the Fiat rally team, expected to compete under the Abarth name. Raikkonen recently contested a series of rallies in his spare time behind the wheel of his own S2000-spec Fiat Punto Abarth (pictured above), adding fuel to the speculation suggesting that Raikkonen could have his existing contract with Ferrari simply transferred over to the Abarth outfit, as it falls under the same Fiat group umbrella as Ferrari. The move would make room for Fernando Alonso to take Kimi's place in the culmination of a long anticipated move for the Spanish champion.

[Source: Autosport and Pitpass | Image: OLIVIER MORIN/AFP/Getty]

Rumormill: Raikkonen to leave Ferrari for new Fiat rally team, VW to follow? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abarthabarth rallyabarth wrcAbarthRallyAbarthWrcalonsofernando alonsoFernandoAlonsofiatfiat abarthfiat abarth wrcfiat rallyfiat wrcFiatAbarthFiatAbarthWrcFiatRallyFiatWrckimikimi raikkonenkimi raikkonen abarth wrckimi raikkonen fiatkimi raikkonen fiat abarthkimi raikkonen fiat abarth wrckimi raikkonen fiat wrckimi raikkonen rallykimi raikkonen wrcKimiRaikkonenKimiRaikkonenAbarthWrcKimiRaikkonenFiatKimiRaikkonenFiatAbarthKimiRaikkonenFiatAbarthWrcKimiRaikkonenFiatWrcKimiRaikkonenRallyKimiRaikkonenWrcraikkonenraikkonen abarthraikkonen fiatraikkonen rallyRaikkonenAbarthRaikkonenFiatRaikkonenRallyvolkswagen rallyvolkswagen wrcVolkswagenRallyVolkswagenWrcvw rallyVwRallyworld rally championshipWorldRallyChampionshipwrcTue, 18 Aug 2009 17:40:00 EST<![CDATA[SPOILER ALERT: Of Champions and Shadows at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/27/spoiler-alert-of-champions-and-shadows-at-the-2009-hungarian-gr/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/27/spoiler-alert-of-champions-and-shadows-at-the-2009-hungarian-gr/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/27/spoiler-alert-of-champions-and-shadows-at-the-2009-hungarian-gr/#commentsFiled under: ,

2009 Hungarian Grand Prix - Click above for high-res image gallery

Jenson Button and his Brawn GP team cast a dominating shadow over the start of this year's Formula One World Championship, taking the checkered flag at six out of the seven races this season to take a commanding lead for the title. But as Button and Brawn cast a dark shadow over the competition, the skies over the paddock at this past weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix were darkened even further, with the drivers getting a taste of their own mortality after Felipe Massa was hospitalized with severe injuries to his head after being hit by a spring during Saturday's qualifying session.

Driving an F1 car - in a grand prix no less - takes an extraordinarily focused person, ignoring the laws of physics and all that can go wrong in order to even get some heat into the tires, much less extract the car's true performance potential. Winning a grand prix takes an even more rarified breed of individual, outgunning the other exceptionally talented and driven drivers to claim victory. Only 102 people have managed that feat in the history of the sport. But it takes a champion to see a fallen comrade and still marshal the fortitude to reel in the win.


Gallery: 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix

Continue reading SPOILER ALERT: Of Champions and Shadows at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix

SPOILER ALERT: Of Champions and Shadows at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valentino Rossi tests a Ferrari F1 car - Click above for high-res image gallery

Typically F1 drivers come up through the formula racing ladder. But for every rule there's an exception, and that exception seems to be creeping up for Ferrari, who are facing a potential change-up in drivers that involves not just numerous racing classes but varied disciplines of motorsports.

First up is Kimi Raikkonen, the team's 2007 world champion who's been trying his hand at rallying. The Finnish driver has contested local-level rallies with limited success, but remains undeterred in entering the World Rally Championship stage in Finland next month. The event will be the first top-level rally for Raikkonen, and also the first professional rally on agravel surface following previous outings on ice, snow and asphalt. Given his level of performance lately in F1, if Kimi finds his footing in rally, he could make the switch.

If Kimi were to jump ship from F1, there's no lack of talent out for Ferrari, but the Scuderia could reach into a different talent pool and bring Valentino Rossi on board. The multiple MotoGP champion has tested for Ferrari on several occasions to considerable effect, and could be ripe for a switch from two wheels to four. But even if Kimi stays in F1, Rossi could find himself with an open door just the same as reports indicate that the terms of the new arrangement between the FIA and FOTA could make way for teams to field a third car in F1 in the near future.

[Source: Autosport and F1-Live]

Musical Chairs: Kimi contests WRC Finland, Rossi considers Ferrari, F1 could grow 3rd car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari's Formula One driving aces have a history of branching into other forms of motorsport. Michael Schumacher has tried his hand at motorbike racing with some success, Felipe Massa continues to mount the occasional karting assault, and now Kimi Raikkonen is slated to tackle the Arctic Lapland Rally behind the wheel of an S2000-spec Grande Punto Abarth.

The Arctic Lapland Rally is the opening round in the Finnish Rally Championship, where Raikkonen will put his nickname "Iceman" to the test against a handful of other ex-F1 drivers, including Mika Hakkinen, Mika Salo and JJ Lehto. Veteran rally co-pilot Kaj Lindstrom, who won the Monte Carlo Rally with rally ace Tommi Makinen, will be by his side in Raikkonen's own Abarth, with which we don't doubt his patrons at Fiat had any trouble hooking him up. As for Scuderia Ferrari, they've got no problem with Kimi occasionally moonlighting on the rally circuit, where he said he might move to after retiring from Ferrari's Formula One team. And with Fernando Alonso knocking at Maranello's door for Raikkonen's seat, that could come sooner than expected. We'll be watching to see how the Iceman does on ice when the Arctic Lapland Rally kicks off on January 22.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

Raikkonen to drive the Arctic rally in a Punto Abarth originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The closer we get to the end of this season and to the start of the next, the clearer the picture will become as to which drivers will be where for the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship. While his team was undergoing testing alongside its competitors at the Monza track in Italy, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo placed one of the bigger pieces in the puzzle in confirming that Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa would both be back in scarlet for next season. Although towards the beginning of the season it was onto Massa's future which doubt was cast, by now the tides have changed in that Kimi's performance has lagged behind his team-mate and it's Raikkonen's future that was being debated in the press. However Montezemolo confirmed that neither driver would be replaced for the coming season.

While in the paddock, Montezemolo also visited former champion Fernando Alonso and current leader Lewis Hamilton, but insisted that Alonso, who has been rumored to be angling for a seat with Ferrari, would have to wait at least a little while longer. Montezemolo also took the opportunity to express his displeasure with the new tracks being mixed into the calendar, stating that because overtaking is so difficult on these new circuits, the winner is often pre-determined in qualifying.

[Source: F1-Live Image: Andreas Solaro/Getty]

Ferrari confirms Kimi and Felipe for 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Actions speak louder than words. Surely a multiple world champion driver like Michael Schumacher would appreciate such a principal, yet the retired Formula One driver continues to proclaim that he has no intention of competing in MotoGP despite his actions suggesting otherwise. After bringing you previous reports of Schumacher dazzling the crowds at various motorcycle races, comes news that Schumi was called up by the Ducati team to fill in for its injured test driver. The Italian motorcycle racing team was in the middle of a three-day test session when its official test rider Vittoriano Guareschi was injured after falling off his bike, precluding him from continuing with the tests. Rather than call on any of what surely must be a long list of eager and experienced motorcyclists to take Guareschi's place, Ducati called Michael and asked him to step in.

Meanwhile Schumacher's successor at Ferrari, reigning world champion and current points leader Kimi Raikkonen, an experienced motocross rider, uncharacteristically commented at this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix that he'd like to follow in Schumacher's footpegs and try out a MotoGP racing bike, however Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali put the brakes on the prospect for the time being by commenting that Kimi has enough on his hands focusing on defending his title on four wheels.

[Source: F1-Live and Autosport]

Schumacher fills in at Ducati test, Raikkonen could be next originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"So...wanna see a pensioner drive?"

Michael Schumacher casts a pretty big shadow over all of F1, and nobody knows it better than Kimi Raikkonen. That's bred a little animosity by Ferrari's latest world champion to his septuple-crown predecessor, but that hasn't stopped either from fulfilling their contractual obligations towards their corporate overlords at Fiat by appearing side-by side, swapping keys in a television commercial for the new Fiat Bravo.

The ad reminds us of a similar spot filmed with uber-rivals Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso earlier in the season for their employers at Mercedes-Benz. The same spirit of, ahem, "camaraderie" permeates this Fiat spot, filmed in German, in which Kimi and Michael take turns behind the wheel and riding shotgun. Follow the jump for the video, complete with - God bless 'em - English subtitles.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Raikkonen and Schumacher in Fiat Bravo commercial

VIDEO: Raikkonen and Schumacher in Fiat Bravo commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adbravocommercialfiatkimimichaelraikkonenschumacherspottelevisiontjettvvideoTue, 11 Dec 2007 18:34:00 EST<![CDATA[FIA rejects McLaren appeal, confirms Raikkonen's title]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/20/fia-rejects-mclaren-appeal-confirms-raikkonens-title/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/20/fia-rejects-mclaren-appeal-confirms-raikkonens-title/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/20/fia-rejects-mclaren-appeal-confirms-raikkonens-title/#commentsFiled under:

Kimi Raikkonen and the boys at Ferrari can breathe a sigh of relief, as their championship has been formally confirmed by the FIA. The title was appealed by the incredibly sore losers at McLaren, who insisted that because of a temperature irregularity in the fuel in BMW's and Williams' cars at the season closer in Brazil, those four cars should have been disqualified, thereby catapulting McLaren's Lewis Hamilton to the championship. (Yeah, they were serious.)

Hamilton, it should be noted, stated that he didn't want to win the championship that way. And nobody else wanted him too, either. Even F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone threatened to quit the sport if the FIA took the title away from Raikkonen and awarded it to Hamilton over the technicality.

The ruling was issued by a specially-convened panel of the FIA's International Court of Appeal, presided over by a Czech motorsport judge and three others from the United States, Greece and Portugal. The court, which heard testimonies from BMW, Williams and McLaren, convened in London instead of the FIA's headquarters in Paris due to traffic issues in the French capital.

Our take: Rules are rules, but if the FIA had stripped Raikkonen of his title, it would have been bad for him, bad for Hamilton, bad for F1 and bad for motorsports. We'll be waiting for Ron Dennis to find a way to blame us for this, too.

Full statement from the FIA after the jump.

Continue reading FIA rejects McLaren appeal, confirms Raikkonen's title

FIA rejects McLaren appeal, confirms Raikkonen's title originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appealcourtdecisionf1fiaformulafuelinternationalmclarenoneraikkonenrulingsaubertemperaturewilliamsTue, 20 Nov 2007 19:41:00 EST<![CDATA[Formula 1: Raikkonen moving to Ferrari?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/03/formula-1-raikkonen-moving-to-ferrari/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/03/formula-1-raikkonen-moving-to-ferrari/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/03/formula-1-raikkonen-moving-to-ferrari/#commentsFiled under:

The European press is bubbling over with talk that McLaren-Mercedes F1 superstar Kimi Raikkonen has signed a contract to race for Ferrari in 2007. Rumors about Raikkonen's future have run rampant since McLaren announced the signing of world champion Fernando Alonso for 2007, and intensified after Raikkonen was reported to have turned down an offer by McLaren to extend his current contract (which expires at the end of the year).

According to F1 Central, the Finnish sports press is reporting that Raikkonen's Ferrari contract is a done-deal, while tea-leaf reading elsewhere in Europe reports Alonso's former manager as saying "Kimi will not be Fernando's teammate next year, that's absolutely for sure." An unnamed Ferrari engineer has also told a German paper that Raikkonen was coming to Ferrari, saying "...we do not want to make the mistake that McLaren made [with Alonso] of announcing it too early."

All that we know for sure is that Raikkonen does not yet have a 2007 contract with McLaren, while neither Michael Schumacher nor Felipe Massa are confirmed at Ferrari in 2007.

Never a dull moment...

Formula 1: Raikkonen moving to Ferrari? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Mar 2006 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f1ferrariformula 1mclarenraikkonenFri, 03 Mar 2006 16:00:00 EST