Formula 1 - 2010 season

[elmir]

that is terrible.
not happy with this at all.

this sport needs some legendary names in it to survive, and Alonso and Kimi didn't have enough time post Schumacher to build up an era of their own....

also, on a side note, the current world champion is going to be paid 6m next year, which is half of what the ex world champion is earning....12m....which again, is half of what the ex-ex world champion is getting....

and then another world champion doesn't have a drive for next year....

this sport has really managed to screw itself up properly over the last few years.

[Genesis]

The thing with remuneration is that teams are looking to cut budgets after the recession. Both Lewis and Kimi signed
their deals before the recession set in. It will be difficult for drivers who are signing contracts now to get the same
level of pay .. whoever they may be...

[Genesis]

Raikkonen rejects F1 for rallying

Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen will not be racing in Formula 1 next year after failing to find a drive.

The 30-year-old Finn had been trying to do a deal with McLaren but they would not offer him the salary he wanted, his manager David Robertson told BBC Sport.

"They couldn't afford him," Roberston said. "It wasn't in his interests to race for what they were offering so he's going to go rallying instead."

Robertson said he believed McLaren had already signed Jenson Button.

Raikkonen is trying to find a drive in the world rally championship, Roberston said, although nothing had yet been sorted out.

He made his world rally debut on his home Rally Finland last August, setting competitive times before crashing out.

"He wants to be back in F1 in 2011 but with all the money he has earned he doesn't want to go in a medium-type team for money," Robertson said.
   
"The same criteria would apply as this year - he'd only go where he feels he has a chance of the world championship."

Asked whether Button's appearance on the market had wrecked Raikkonen's hopes at McLaren, Roberston said: "If they hadn't gone for Jenson, they'd have gone for someone else."

Raikkonen, who won the world title for Ferrari in 2007, was forced out of Ferrari at the end of this season to make way for Fernando Alonso, despite already having a year left on his contract.

Raikkonen is being paid a sum believed to be in the region of 20m Euro not to race for Ferrari in 2010, but still wanted to be paid what he felt was a fair sum to drive for another team.

Robertson would not confirm the Ferrari payment, describing his arrangements with Ferrari as "confidential".

Although he won the Belgian Grand Prix, Raikkonen's final season with Ferrari was a disappointment, with car that was never the fastest in the field.

He said: "Kimi wanted a winning car, only McLaren could supply that and he only had them in his sights. He didn't want another year like this one.

"But they had their issues with Mercedes, Santander and the FIA and from a financial point of view they are not the powerhouse they were. They couldn't afford him."

Mercedes announced on Tuesday that they were selling back their 40% shareholding in McLaren and buying the Brawn team instead.

Spanish bank Santander will sponsor Ferrari next year, although they will still retain a smaller presence with McLaren.

And governing body the FIA in 2007 fined McLaren $100m (then ?49m) after they were found guilty of possessing confidential Ferrari technical information.

Asked how Raikkonen felt about the temporary end of an F1 career that started in 2001 and in which he won 18 grands prix, Robertson said: "He's one of those guys who moves on quickly - he just said: 'Now we concentrate on rallying.'"

A McLaren spokesman refused to comment on Robertson's remarks.

[jarmo]

This reminds me of Mika H?kkinen's "year off"... We haven't seen him in F1 since.

I don't know how keen a team like Red Bull would be to sign Kimi after a year of not racing at the top level.




/jarmo

[Ulises]

So...Raikkonen is out. The tour of GN'R in 2010 it's a good thing, a 2010 season without Raikkonen and no GN'R would make Jarmo miserable .

In these days, F1 sucks. One of the things in my opinion is the lack of loyalty: Do you imagine Schumacher signing a contract with McLaren? Do you imagine Hakkinen signing with Ferrari? No.

Now there's a lot of mercenaries around there...

[Genesis]

This reminds me of Mika H?kkinen's "year off"... We haven't seen him in F1 since.

That is a good point. It depends on how well WRC goes for Kimi. If he's successful there and likes the team he's in, I don't think he'll drop all that and come back to F1, just for the sake of coming back.
Especially since ... no Ferrari and no McLaren seat.

[elmir]

i think he may be done with F1...this lack of confidence in his abilities and status probably disappointed him quite a lot...his and Hakkinen's situation is different...Mika chose to sit a year out amongst a ton of offers on the table....Kimi doesn't really have any offers on the table...barring the low salary one from Mclaren...

[Genesis]

Meanwhile...

Button joins Hamilton at McLaren

Jenson Button has signed to drive alongside Lewis Hamilton in an all-English line-up at McLaren next season.

The world champion's move was announced on Wednesday following news that former world champion Kimi Raikkonen will not race in F1 next year.

Button described leaving the Brawn team for whom he won the title as a "difficult decision", but added: "life is about challenges.

"Most important of all, it's about challenging yourself."

Button is facing as his team-mate a man many regard as the fastest driver in F1 and the move leaves McLaren with one of the most exciting driver line-ups in F1 and Button facing arguably the toughest challenge of his career.

But Button said: "Although I won the World Championship with Brawn GP last year, and I'll never forget that, I was always adamant that I wanted to continue to set myself fresh challenges.

"That's why I've decided to join Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. You can't help but be affected by this team's phenomenal history.

"McLaren is one of the greats of world sport, and its achievements and list of past champions read like a Who's Who of Formula 1 - Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and of course my new team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

"I've followed the McLaren team ever since I was a small boy, and it feels unbelievable to finally be a part of it.

"When I visited the McLaren Technology Centre earlier this month, it wasn't simply the technical resources and the incredible standards of excellence that impressed me.

"No, I was equally struck by the ambition, the motivation and the winning spirit that flow through everybody there. And then there's the team's epic history: put it this way, the trophy cabinets seem to stretch for miles.

"From a personal point of view, it's also a great pleasure to be joining a fellow British world champion.

"Lewis has achieved an incredible level of success in a very short period of time, and he's a wonderfully gifted driver who has earned the respect of every Formula 1 driver.

"I'm sure there's plenty that we can learn from each other, and I'm really looking forward to using our combined knowledge to push the team forward."

Button paid tribute to Brawn, whose participation in F1 last year was only confirmed with a month to go before the start of the season following Honda's decision to quit F1.

"I want to say that the 2009 season will always have a special place in my memory, and I'm absolutely sure that everybody at Brawn GP who worked so hard to achieve our world championship successes feels exactly the same way about it," he said. Button's switch means McLaren will be fielding the last two world champions in the same team, Hamilton having won the drivers' title in 2008.
   
Hamilton, who wished his former team-mate Heikki Kovalainen the best for the future, said: "It's fantastic news that Jenson has decided to join McLaren - and I'm looking forward to working with him and our engineers to make sure we kick off the 2010 season with a car that's competitive enough to win the world championship

"I already know Jenson, and we get on very well together.

"We both really want our team to succeed. Although we'll be pushing each other hard, I'm sure we'll very quickly establish a great working relationship.

"He's an exceptional driver: very controlled and very smooth, and he has a real depth of knowledge and experience. I think we'll complement each other very well, and our collaboration will make the team stronger as a result. I believe we can pull together to make McLaren the best team on the grid."

Button's former team Brawn, who have been taken over by Mercedes, made Button an offer, but the 29-year-old did not consider it acceptable.

His preference for McLaren is not solely to do with money, according to sources. He also believes it is the best option for his career.
   
After a poor start to the 2009 season, McLaren came back strongly in the second half of the year, while Brawn, after dominating the first third of the season, slipped back in competitiveness as the year went on.

Brawn emerged from the ashes of the former Honda team, after the Japanese company pulled out of F1 last winter.

Button took a pay cut last winter to help secure the team's future and they went on to win the world championship together in Brawn's debut season.

Now renamed Mercedes Grand Prix, the team have already signed the German Nico Rosberg as one of their drivers.

His fellow German Nick Heidfeld is the favourite for the second seat.

[jarmo]

his and Hakkinen's situation is different...Mika chose to sit a year out amongst a ton of offers on the table....

That's true. I meant more in the sense that both said it's a year off...


I think his return to F1 is unlikely. Obviously he's not going back to Ferrari or McLaren.

So unless Red Bull or Mercedes (depending on if Ross is interested in Kimi in 2011) prove out to be championship contenders in 2010, I don't see Kimi being interested in returning.




/jarmo

[elmir]

it is a sad day for motorsport.

[Genesis]

it is a sad day for motorsport.

Not really, Kimi's still in WRC. He didn't die.

[elmir]

he belongs in F1....now i have no one to root for next year, I've been a Kimi supporter for years...

now i have to find someone new.

[Genesis]

Yes, I agree it's a sad day for F1. I watch WRC so I'll still be seeing him around. Next season looks very much like a Ferrari vs. McLaren affair.

[IzzyDutch]

Kimi's gone, but when the lights go out in Melbourne the people won't be thinking about him.. it'll be the same with Schumi, no one really missed him as much as people claimed and expected he would be missed, other drivers and/or teams will take over in 2010. People will have the McLarens, Ferrari's and Red Bull's fighting, with perhaps Brawn aswell.

Anyways, as far as I'm concerned it's not Formula 1's fault itself for not having Kimi in F1 next year. Cause he wanted a huge amount of money, which is unreleastic in times like these, not to mention the fact he only concentrated on McLaren. Many teams are struggling financially, you can't expect a team to pay a huge amount of money. Button might be overshadowed by Lewis in terms of speed next year (we'll see), but he is very consistent and makes very few mistakes. Which McLaren lacked in their 2nd driver this year. Also with Button signing for 3 years they have stability, something which I think would not necessarily be the case with Kimi as he talked before about driving rally.

I don't think we'll ever get to see Kimi return though.. I think he'll like rally racing alot and doesn't want to return. I remember Mika Hakkinen saying a few years after he quit saying he regretted taking the sabbatical and quitting.

[Genesis]

The thing with Kimi is, he doesn't need to drive in F1 that badly. He's already worth millions and if F1 teams don't pay what he wants or don't have a good
car, he doesn't have to settle for that. He likes rallying (I think all Finns do for some reason) and he'll get ?10m from Ferrari anyway, plus whatever the WRC
teams are offering him.

This year he's still the second highest paid athlete in sports. He can come back to F1 if he wants to. The question is, will he want to.

[jarmo]

Kimi's gone, but when the lights go out in Melbourne the people won't be thinking about him.. it'll be the same with Schumi, no one really missed him as much as people claimed and expected he would be missed

Difference is that Schumacher had nothing to prove.

I feel Kimi does.

And everybody who bitched about Kimi is this, Kimi is that etc. Shit that had nothing to do with the racing, must be happy now. Now you'll get your F1. The kind of field where every racer is cut from the same mould.

They'll smile for the cameras and say a lot of things that they all have repeated umpteen times.

Cause he wanted a huge amount of money, which is unreleastic in times like these, not to mention the fact he only concentrated on McLaren.

I don't know the details of what he asked for regarding his salary.

Do you think he'd be worth less than what their current driver makes?

Obviously Button thinks he deserves less pay than Hamilton for whatever reason...




/jarmo

[Genesis]

Obviously Button thinks he deserves less pay than Hamilton for whatever reason...

It's because he had no choice. It's either McLaren or settle for what Brawn was offering. Although I think he should have
stayed at Brawn. At McLaren he'll have to play second fiddle to Hamilton.

[jarmo]

Maybe Brawn Mercedes didn't want him. He's not German after all.

So he had only one choice....




/jarmo

[elmir]

It's because he had no choice. It's either McLaren or settle for what Brawn was offering.

apparently, the Brawn offer was better.

'BREACH OF CONTRACT COST BUTTON ?12M'
Thursday 19th November 2009


Jenson Button's decision to join McLaren reportedly came when Brawn GP took an offer of ?12million off the table after he breached his contract.

On Wednesday, McLaren announced that Button would be joining them next season having signed a three-year contract worth ?6m per year. The move will see him team up with Lewis Hamilton in a formidable partnership of British talent.

However, Button could have earned double that if the World Champion hadn't angered his Brawn GP team bosses by visiting McLaren's Woking headquarters last Friday evening.

On Saturday, newspapers - along with some fine F1 websites - in the UK carried news of Button's visit to Woking, which an unnamed McLaren source said was just a 'hello' while another claimed that the Brit had been in talks with team boss Martin Whitmarsh well into the night.

And it appears Brawn GP's bosses weren't at all happy with Button's McLaren visit.

According to the Daily Express 'Button's relationship with Brawn broke down so badly that they removed an offer that could have been worth ?12million next year before he signed for McLaren.

'Just a month after being lifted to the heights of World Champion by his team, Button was left in no doubt that he had let them down in a phone call with team principal Ross Brawn at the weekend.

'That came after a breach of contract when Button was shown around the McLaren factory, a move which shocked Brawn, who thought he was still in the middle of negotiations with Button.'

The phone call with Brawn resulted in both parties feeling wronged and the offer of an ?8m per year salary plus up to ?4m in points bonuses being taken off the table.

Two days later McLaren announced they had bagged the reigning World Champ for just ?6m a year.

"I was very disappointed at the way things finished up with Jenson," said Brawn, who earlier this week sold 75.1 percent of his Formula One team to Mercedes.

Nick Fry, the team's chief executive, backed up the newspaper's claims by revealing that money was not the issue behind Button leaving.

Either way there seems to have been a breakdown in relations and The Times understands that neither Button nor his advisers have been taking calls from Mercedes's management for over a week.

"I don't think that it was a financial issue," Fry told Autosport. "We understand that our offer to Jenson may well have been in excess of what he might be getting with McLaren.

"We are disappointed that Jenson has decided to leave because we did make what we thought was a very generous offer for a new contract which was significantly in excess of the frankly spurious figures that were put out to the press over the past week or so.

"It was clear to us that things were going seriously astray as of Sunday night or Monday morning.

"Unfortunately, over the last week there has been very little dialogue with Jenson's management team despite the fact that we have made overtures to have further discussions. But they didn't seem particularly keen, presumably because they were set on the McLaren route."

Fry added that he doesn't understand why Button chose to leave when it means he will have Lewis Hamilton, arguably one of the best drivers in Formula One, as his team-mate.

"I respect his decision," said Fry. "It's not one that I would have made and maybe he has been poorly advised.

"Clearly, loyalty would be nice but in this day and age you don't expect too much of that. I'm always happy when any employee leaves our company if I think that they've made the right decision and they are going to a better job and they always go with our blessing if that is the situation.

"In this situation, we don't understand the logic of the decision and I think Jenson is going to have to up his game if he's going to beat Lewis on home territory."

[elmir]

sounds like sour grapes to me, to be honest.
its just PR, trying to fix a situation which looks bad for them.

although Button is notorious for his dodgy negotiation tactics...(Williams comes to mind???)...i think they could have still shown him a bit more respect, especially after all he's been through to help that team get where they are today.

i think its their disloyalty which drove him away.