So long, and thanks for all the Finns

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Written by Kate Walker

Friday, 20 November 2009 09:57

The F1 rumour mill is turning fast as ever. Depending on your source material, Kimi Raikkonen has either taken a one-year sabbatical from the grid in 2010, during which time he may or may not rally, or he’s secretly signed with Mercedes GP. I can’t claim any insider information on either count. Based on what we believe we know about the terms of the Finn’s exit contract with Ferrari, however, it appears that the Ice (Cream) Man will earn more money from one year on the sidelines than he would racing. If that is the key factor influencing Kimi’s decision, this is a sad day indeed.

One only needs to recall fellow Finn Mika Hakkinen’s one-year sabbatical from the grid, which began in 2002 and has yet to end.
Throughout his years in Formula 1 Raikkonen had earned the reputation of a racer in it for the drive. He has very little time for corporate politics or PR appearances (can any employee who’s sat through a team-building enforced fun day blame him?), and wants any contract he signs to allow him the freedom to explore other avenues.

Unfortunately, he also seems to want any contract to make up for a perceived shortfall in his Ferrari earnings. Much like Jenson Button, Kimi seems to have been insulated from the credit crunch by the bubble that is Formula 1. And with Abu Dhabi investing unimaginable sums into its island in the desert, who can blame the drivers for not noticing changes in a world they rarely inhabit? One can only hope that by the next round of contract negotiations, drivers won’t expect much sympathy for only earning millions when lots of us aren’t earning anything at all.

Much has been made of Kimi’s efforts in the World Rallying Championship earlier this year. He made his WRC debut in the 2009 Finland Rally, performing well until he crashed the car with a few miles to go on the final stage. An absence from the F1 grid could see Kimi dedicating the year to rallying, but that’s not his only option.

Little has been made of Kimi’s involvement in Raikkonen Robertson Racing (aka Double-R Racing), the F3 team started by Kimi and his manager (himself a former F3 driver) in November 2004. This may be because his recent Formula 1 commitments have left little time for hands-on involvement in the team. Or it may be that Kimi’s on-track performances – and ice-cream lust – are so compelling that there aren’t any column inches to spare when covering his other life.

While discovering a driver with the last name Senna is hardly ground-breaking in motorsport, Raikkonen’s F3 team was the first to hire Bruno for a full series; the team won the championship in its second year, with five race wins from Senna and nine from Mike Conway, who later tested F1 cars for Honda. Double-R racing also competes in the Formula BMW series, although they have yet to win a championship.

With Bruno making his F1 debut next year for Campos Meta, it seems Kimi’s talent-spotting is on the right track. In 2007 and 2008 Finnish driver Atte Mustonen – himself a two-time Finnish Karting Driver of the Year and winner of several junior Finnish championships – drove for Double-R, although he moved to the Formula Three Euroseries for 2009, diving for Motorpark Academy.

Finland has a proud history in motorsport; the country has given us Ari Vatanen, Heikki Kovalainen, Keke Rosberg (Nico has dual nationality with Germany, and races under the German flag), Mika Salo, and many more besides. If Kimi decides to stay off the track in 2010, we can only hope that he will put the time to good use by seeking out more home-grown motorsport talent and giving them opportunities within his teams.

Whether 2010 sees him rallying, talent-spotting, relaxing, or selling ice-creams at races, no F1 drive doesn’t make it curtains for Kimi.

by Kate Walker for Girlracer Magazine

www.girlracer.co.uk

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