Salo: I'll join Kimi in NASCAR

The former F1 driver Mika Salo will join his compatriot Kimi Räikkönen in the NASCAR series. Salo spoke to the Finnish news paper Turun Sanomat about his plans.

- This year it's finally going to happen. We had negotiations for who knows how long. We made progress little by little and now it seems by the end of July I'll take part in the truck series, Salo suggested.

By then Räikkönen will most likely have been promoted to a higher series, so chances are the two Finns won't compete against each other.

Salo has faith in Räikkönen

Mika Salo follows Räikkönen's NASCAR career that is about to take off with
great interest.

- Kimi will also move on in his NASCAR career just as fast [as in F1].

For Räikkönen's first race Salo has one piece of advice.

- The most important thing is to finish the race, Salo tips Räikkönen.

Mika Salo has several years of experience of driving in the US. He, among other things, participated in the American Le Mans series, where he took the title in the GT2 class in 2007.

Source: RacingNewsFlash
Courtesy:luieluv

Jense plans to end F1 career at McLaren

Jenson Button has reiterated his desire to see out his Formula One career with McLaren

The 31-year-old's three-year contract with the team expires at the end of the 2012 season, but both parties have previously indicated that they would be keen to extend the deal so that the "dream team" of Button and Lewis Hamilton remain intact for the foreseeable future.

Recent reports suggested that McLaren would be willing to spend up to £100m in order to retain their current line-up until 2017.

Button admits he is eager to remain part of the Woking-based outfit until he quits the sport.

"When I finish racing here, I won't be racing in Formula 1 anymore," Button told Autosport. "I'm very happy here. I want to enjoy my racing and I'm really enjoying my time here. I can't see any reason to be anywhere else.

"I'm driving for one of the best teams in the world. It's a position that most drivers would love to be in and I've worked very hard for it. I might be around for three years, five years... I don't know."

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh also gave the clearest indication yet that they are eager to hang onto Button's services.

"If Jenson says he is totally committed and wants to do x more years, then I suspect that we could quickly come to an agreement," Whitmarsh told Autosport. "He's a tremendous asset to the team and when we get around to that, I hope that it will be a quick and easy conversation."

Source: Planet-F1

Manager outlines Räikkönen’s racing plans

Kimi Räikkönen’s current racing agenda has been outlined to GPUpdate.net this week by the Finn’s long-term manager, Steve Robertson. The 18-time Grand Prix winner is currently contesting the World Rally Championship (WRC) with ICE 1 Racing and will continue to do so while embarking on his new NASCAR ambitions.

The ex-Sauber, McLaren and Ferrari Formula 1 driver signed a deal with Kyle Busch Motorsports earlier in April to compete in the NASCAR Truck Series and Robertson has explained that, if Räikkönen’s selected races prove enjoyable throughout the season, the 31-year-old could commit himself to the sport.

"He’s got a plan for this year, so he’s doing some races this year in the trucks and also the Nationwide cars," Robertson told GPUpdate.net.

"That’s happening very, very soon. Obviously he’s got a pretty heavy programme with WRC as well and he’s going to combine the both, which is not so easy to do, but that’s what he wants to do.

"But (his move to NASCAR is) with a view for possibly 2012 and 2013, but he wants to see if he enjoys it first before he makes a decision as to what he does."

Source: GPUpdate.net

Bulgarian GP plans gather momentum

Plans are gathering pace for the inaugural Bulgarian Grand Prix to feature on the Formula One calendar, possibly as soon as 2012.

According to the head of the south east European country's motor racing federation, Bogdan Nikolov, a race contract could be signed as soon as next month.

The idea of a Bulgarian Grand Prix is nothing new, with F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone having met with the country's economy minister for discussions at Monza last month.

If talks with a funding consortium reportedly comprising Arab, US and Canadian companies and the government go well, Ecclestone could travel to Sofia to sign the contract between November 15 and December 15.

"We have created a project that meets the requirements of both FIA and (MotoGP governing body) FIM," Nikolov told Sofia news agency Novinite.

Nikolov added that the circuit will bid to host both Formula One and MotoGP races.

It has also emerged that Rome's agreement about a city-based grand prix in 2012 or 2013 could lapse at the end of the year.

It was reported last month that organisers of the proposed event had signed a five-year contract with Bernie Ecclestone. But Italian media reports this week have revealed that the document signed at Monza last month was just a letter of intent.

"I will soon meet with Ecclestone to confirm the letter of intent that has been signed and never revoked," said Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno. "If someone thinks I want to make a mess of the EUR, they are making a big mistake.

"Rather, we want to enrich the city's image. Research shows that the majority of Rome residents, although not an overwhelming one, are in favour."

Source: ESPNF1

Räikkönen: I have no plans for next year

Kimi Räikkönen has said that he is yet to finalise plans for the 2011 season following a sudden end to recent rumours that he may be returning to Formula 1 with Renault. Although a continuation in the World Rally Championship is believed to be the most likely option, the 2007 F1 World Champion reiterates that no arrangements are yet in place.

Having departed Ferrari at the end of last year, Räikkönen has spent 2010 rallying for Red Bull’s Citroën Junior Team. However, after claiming to the Finnish press prior to the Japanese Grand Prix that Renault was using his name in a publicity stunt – a statement the team hotly contested - an F1 comeback seems unlikely.

“I don’t have any plans for next year,” he told Fox Sports ahead of this weekend’s French rally. “There’s different options and we will see which is the best, what I feel is the right thing for me, and then we’ll make the decision.”

When asked to explain his goal for the rest of this season’s WRC campaign, which features events in Spain and Great Britain after this weekend, Kimi replied:

“To try and make the best out of all of the rallies; there’s two tarmac rallies, so that should be a bit easier.

"Here in France it’s a new rally for everybody, so it should be a bit better for us because other people don’t have experience from the past here – so hopefully we can improve and get some good results.”

Source: GPUPDATE
Courtesy: luieluv