Former-Formula 1 Champion Kimi Räikkönen in Talks to Join Nascar Team

Kimi Räikkönen, the 2007 Formula One champion, is considering an offer to join a team in the Nascar auto-racing series, his agent David Robertson said.

Robertson declined to identify the team the 31-year-old Finn was talking to.

“Negotiations are ongoing but nothing is guaranteed,” Robertson said by telephone. “Somebody had come to us with an offer and we are considering it.”

Räikkönen is set to join a new team, ICE1 Racing, in the Truck series before moving to the Nationwide and Sprint Cup categories, Autosport.com reported, citing Finland’s Turun Sanomat newspaper.

One of the team’s partners is Foster Gillett, the son of George Gillett, according to Autosport.com. George Gillett is the former owner of the Liverpool soccer team and the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team.

Räikkönen was the top-earning athlete after golfer Tiger Woods in 2008 with $45 million in income, according to Forbes magazine.

He was dropped by Ferrari after the 2009 season and left Formula One to compete in the World Rally Championship for Citroen last year. Räikkönen remains committed to his contract in the rally series, Robertson said.

Source: Bloomberg.com
Courtesy: sleenster

Kimi's rally contract might take a long time

Turun Sanomat 25.11 2010 20:31:27

More than one rumour has been dwelling around the 31-year old Finn driver Kimi Raikkonen's doings next year.

Steve Robertson has together with his father David Robertson worked hard to ensure their protégé a job as good as possible for season 2011.

- Of course we've always wanted to decide about the next season sooner than later. Sometimes it's just not possible. Hopefully we will know something by the end of November, in which direction we are going, Robertson describes the situation to Turun Sanomat.

- Kim's mind is though in rally, the manager says.

Does Kimi's negotiating department have any more links to F1?

- We have not talked with anyone in F1. Kimi has not closed the door to F1. Never say never if the right offer still would come, Robertson said.

Santander made some room for Fernando Alonso in Ferrari for this year already and Raikkonen had to pack his suitcase in Maranello.

How does Robertson think that Kimi would have done in Alonso's car?

- I think that Kimi would have done pretty much the same way as Fernando did. Fernando drove a great season and I don't want to take anything away from it. Don't take this the wrong way but I think that Kimi would also have a done a good job with that car.

- The whole Ferrari team always works hard as a team. At one stage it looked like Ferrari will lose their position in Championship-battle but they hit back again. That team always fights and that's why they always fight until the end for the championship, Robertson said.

Then what about Räikkönen's first WRC-season seen from the manager's point of view?

- It was as difficult in every way as we expected also. The switch from F1 to WRC requires a lot and getting used to it takes a long time. From Kimi's point of view it was unfortunate that he made the switch as a F1-champion and it lifted the outsiders' expectations up in the roof. They thought that let's give him a couple of rallies and after that we get results.

- One has to be a realist. Success in rally is directly based upon the experience you gain there - not on experience from some other serie.Kimi's competitors have rallied throughout their whole life. Kimi again has raced single-seaters all his life. The difference is like night and day.

- It requires a lot of getting used to so that you learn to drive with the co-driver based upon what you hear and not based upon what you see like in F1, Robertson says.

Turun Sanomat

HEIKKI KULTA

Courtesy: Nicole