Raikkonen bids for 2011 Renault seat
 

Kimi Raikkonen is making a fresh bid to return to Formula 1 next year after approaching the Renault team for a drive in 2011... http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86688

Kimi in 2011?

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86688

Yes!

Lets hope so! Although Kimi would be a great signing for Renault I personally think he would be better suited at Mercedes. But either way...

That is all very surprising, the Finnish media had no clue about that. Kimi is a hard man to figure out but logically he will stay in rallying. It's bit funny how Renault is viewing the situation according to the article when in reality they'll take Kimi if they can get him (and afford him).

I think that he would be a better option but it's more a case of can they afford to take him rather than can they afford him.

The team needs money and for the manufacturer to stump up the cash, they need some reason. Petrov opens a very lucrative market and Kimi would bring better results but not a lot more from a marketing perspective. Would those results be enough?

Autosport is a reliable publication. I´m so delighted, my man will be back and settle things, fantastic.

If it´s true!

Great news if true http://www.motorsportforums.com/images/styles/World/icons/icon14.gif

I´m so very very glad, ifs it true.

I´m not so sure Renualt are worse than Mercedes next year.

I think it's time for me to dust of my "never gonna happen" song.

However the last time I sang it Brawn became Mercedes and McLaren and the three pointed star split.

But what the hey.....

Never gonna happen,
Never gonna happ-en,
Never gonna happen,
Never gonna happ-en,
Never gonna happen,
Gonna happen,
Dodododoooooodadum.

Kimi back in 2011 http://www.motorsportforums.com/images/styles/World/icons/icon5.gif

Please God nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo http://www.motorsportforums.com/images/styles/World/icons/icon13.gif

No.

Lets draw a line under Michael Schumacher. You leave the sport and go away. Why?

Because there are new exciting drivers in the lower echelons that are the future of the sport.

Everyone is after Renault suddenly and it is to his credit that Boullier remains favorable to Vitaly. But even if it ends up differently, then the Regie should go for another debutant.

Its bad enough that there is no testing so new drivers cannot get the same amount of preparation that people such as Hamilton and Rosberg had.

What does f1 want to do? Chase away ALL the good potential to the Indycar series or worse, make success in GP2 a dead-end?

There is a big problem in f1 - drivers stay too long these days because it has become so safe.

agreed, but it doesn't hurt to find out.
2 options are better than one

Kimi http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...es/biggrin.gif

2011 WDC!

I was under the impression that it was only in season testing on current cars that was banned.

Can't they use last years car to give new drivers a good shake down?

If a driver is good enough, he will go to F1. It's only the people that aren't good enough to make it that go to Indy etc.

Might sound like a surprising turnaround in his thinking, but on the other hand who knows?! I think there was always a suspicion that he might get frustrated of crashing cars in WRC, which might have left him wondering that a breakthrough in rallying is harder than he anticipated and maybe it's better to leave it just as a pastime hobby. Better participate at an F1 media event than keep digging your car out of a hole?http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...ies/tongue.gif Different experiences can give interesting perspectives and change human's thinking, so maybe that's what has happened to him.

cool seems like kimi laid down the bottle and started thinking about driving in a sport where he is among the best. and please all this boullier talk about having to think hard between kimi and petrov is B.S. to keep the russian money coming. now comparing Kubica to Kimi that would be a close one driving wise with team spirit going to Kubica and marketing going to Kimi.

I've become a Petrov fan this year.

I think by now even Kimi himself figured out that he's not cut out to make it in rallying, after his basically chaotic season that hasn't yielded much besides crashes (that after mostly crashes in rallying last year, too!). Maybe it's not so much him wanting to return, but Citroen telling him to get lost, as he's not pulling his weight in comparison with how his team mates are doing.

So maybe he's realizing he'll be out of a drive for 2011, that's why his sudden interest in coming back to F1.

I don't like him personally, but I think it would be an awesome addition to the grid to have the exWDC back. With Heidfeld back too, we'd be getting closer to having almost everybody who SHOULD be racing in F1 actually racing.

For Renault it would make a lot of sense. If they want to be a serious challenger, they need to unload the #2 quality drivers, and get serious material a la Kubica and Raikkonen behind the wheel.

Kubica & Raikkonen... what a personalities disaster!! LOL... But they can surely drive. F1 that is. Rally? Not so much... http://www.motorsportforums.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Petrov going to Lotus is a possibility. He's done decently this year, and probably deserves a seat somewhere, but I am not sure Lotus would wanna cash him in for Trulli and Renault engines, but it may be part of the Renault deal. In any event, Trulli's time is up... he's been in F1 long enough.

Id love him to come back in 2011, he is a magnificent F1 driver. not too sure on his rallying skills, but hey.....

Kimi and Kubi would be a great line up for renault next year.

but whether it happens is another story.

Kimi would be a much better fit at Mercedes. I bet Schumacher retires again after this dismal season... Also Kimi is too good of a driver to bother with Renault. 2005-06 were fluke years for renault imo Alonso was super talented and hungry for wins and had the car set up perfectly for him. I think Kimi will fare no better than Kubica in the coming years at Renault = Podiums will be rare and wins non-existent. Then again I guess Mercedes isn't much better than Renault but I think the Mercedes team will have more potential in the coming years than Renault.