Kimi and Alonso Silly Season
09-17-2013, 10:18 AM
#137
Luca speaks about the dream team. So very manipulative this guy (like Alonso), the tension is only getting more intense, I guess that's one management style. Swipe at Massa, guess it's been 4 days so the niceties are over.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo sees no reason why Kimi Raikkonen can't win another title, and he also believes the Finn will push Fernando Alonso to greater things.
The Italian stable will have the strongest line-up on the grid next year as they will have two World Champions as team-mates, moving away from their recent policy of having a clear number one driver.
There have been suggestions that Raikkonen's return could have a negative impact on Alonso's career at the Scuderia, but Montezemolo is having none of that and he believes both drivers will benefit from the move.
Montezemolo told Gazzetta dello Sport: "Raikkonen's case is almost identical to that of Lauda. Niki also at a certain stage said 'enough is enough' because he was sick of it. I'm speaking of Kimi's twin brother, because the driver who we was racing for us wasn't the one we hired.
"The break has been good for him, he has returned to greatness, he's won races, he's finished lots of races. I wanted a driver who wouldn't make me look back on Massa with regret and I've got one. I want more victories, consistency, podiums from Raikkonen. Alonso will be the first to benefit. Returning to Lauda, when he returned he was refreshed and he beat Prost (his McLaren team-mate) to the World Championship..."
He also insisted that Alonso knew from the start that Raikkonen was in the running to replace Massa.
"Fernando has always been aware of the choice of Raikkonen, also because the alternative of a young driver in the World Championship as a whole in 2014 gave us no certainties. The Raikkonen of today is one of the strongest with Alonso, [Sebastian] Vettel and [Lewis Hamilton] Hamilton."
Meanwhile jamesallenonf1.com adds that di Montezemolo also dismissed suggestions that team principal Stefano Domenicali's position is under threat after another less than satisfactory season for the squad.
"We would miss him. He was the main factor in rehiring Kimi," he said. "He's done great work for the future. And let's not forget that in the last three years we've lost the title at the last race, through no fault of his."
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo sees no reason why Kimi Raikkonen can't win another title, and he also believes the Finn will push Fernando Alonso to greater things.
The Italian stable will have the strongest line-up on the grid next year as they will have two World Champions as team-mates, moving away from their recent policy of having a clear number one driver.
There have been suggestions that Raikkonen's return could have a negative impact on Alonso's career at the Scuderia, but Montezemolo is having none of that and he believes both drivers will benefit from the move.
Montezemolo told Gazzetta dello Sport: "Raikkonen's case is almost identical to that of Lauda. Niki also at a certain stage said 'enough is enough' because he was sick of it. I'm speaking of Kimi's twin brother, because the driver who we was racing for us wasn't the one we hired.
"The break has been good for him, he has returned to greatness, he's won races, he's finished lots of races. I wanted a driver who wouldn't make me look back on Massa with regret and I've got one. I want more victories, consistency, podiums from Raikkonen. Alonso will be the first to benefit. Returning to Lauda, when he returned he was refreshed and he beat Prost (his McLaren team-mate) to the World Championship..."
He also insisted that Alonso knew from the start that Raikkonen was in the running to replace Massa.
"Fernando has always been aware of the choice of Raikkonen, also because the alternative of a young driver in the World Championship as a whole in 2014 gave us no certainties. The Raikkonen of today is one of the strongest with Alonso, [Sebastian] Vettel and [Lewis Hamilton] Hamilton."
Meanwhile jamesallenonf1.com adds that di Montezemolo also dismissed suggestions that team principal Stefano Domenicali's position is under threat after another less than satisfactory season for the squad.
"We would miss him. He was the main factor in rehiring Kimi," he said. "He's done great work for the future. And let's not forget that in the last three years we've lost the title at the last race, through no fault of his."
09-17-2013, 12:16 PM
#138
Late Porkchops
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I guess it was a swipe . But no question that they stood with Massa . I respect Ferrari for it and I am not sure there is another team that would have in todays F1.
But the rest of it is just what I would expect. Kimi gives them the best chance from Day One of the 2014 season. They want to WIN TODAY.
IF Alonso wins this week , or the next race, then you will be seeing the effects of Kimis hiring already .
But the rest of it is just what I would expect. Kimi gives them the best chance from Day One of the 2014 season. They want to WIN TODAY.
IF Alonso wins this week , or the next race, then you will be seeing the effects of Kimis hiring already .
09-17-2013, 12:25 PM
#139
Late Porkchops
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Hey these guys are pikers. 
Senna earned $10 million in salary back in the day. That should be about $30 million in todays terms. I bet his endorsements are far ahead too .
The Forbes list, which includes earnings between June 2012 and June 2013, is derived from salaries, bonuses, endorsements, as well as the drivers' shares of winnings and licensing.
Full list:
1. Fernando Alonso F1 - $30m (salary/winnnings $28m; endorsements $2m)
2. Lewis Hamilton, F1 - $27.5m (salary/winnnings $26m; endorsements $1.5m)
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr, NASCAR - $26m (salary/winnnings $13m; endorsements $13m)
4. Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR - $24m (salary/winnnings $17.3m; endorsements $6.7m)
5. Valentino Rossi, MotoGP - $22m (salary/winnnings $12m; endorsements $10m)
6. Tony Stewart, NASCAR - $18.5m (salary/winnnings $12.5m; endorsements $6m)
7. Jeff Gordon, NASCAR - $18.2m (salary/winnnings $12.7m; endorsements $5.5m)
8. Sebastian Vettel, F1 - $18m (salary/winnnings $17m; endorsements $1m)
9. Danica Patrick, NASCAR - $15m (salary/winnnings $6m; endorsements $9m)
10. Jenson Button, F1 - $14m (salary/winnnings $14m)
Senna earned $10 million in salary back in the day. That should be about $30 million in todays terms. I bet his endorsements are far ahead too .
The Forbes list, which includes earnings between June 2012 and June 2013, is derived from salaries, bonuses, endorsements, as well as the drivers' shares of winnings and licensing.
Full list:
1. Fernando Alonso F1 - $30m (salary/winnnings $28m; endorsements $2m)
2. Lewis Hamilton, F1 - $27.5m (salary/winnnings $26m; endorsements $1.5m)
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr, NASCAR - $26m (salary/winnnings $13m; endorsements $13m)
4. Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR - $24m (salary/winnnings $17.3m; endorsements $6.7m)
5. Valentino Rossi, MotoGP - $22m (salary/winnnings $12m; endorsements $10m)
6. Tony Stewart, NASCAR - $18.5m (salary/winnnings $12.5m; endorsements $6m)
7. Jeff Gordon, NASCAR - $18.2m (salary/winnnings $12.7m; endorsements $5.5m)
8. Sebastian Vettel, F1 - $18m (salary/winnnings $17m; endorsements $1m)
9. Danica Patrick, NASCAR - $15m (salary/winnnings $6m; endorsements $9m)
10. Jenson Button, F1 - $14m (salary/winnnings $14m)
09-17-2013, 03:14 PM
#140
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When they say there is no problem, there is a problem
I can see Ross Brawn in Domenicali's seat next year.... 
Domenicali position not under threat
17 September 2013
Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo has made it clear that Stefano Domenicali's role as Team Principal is not being reconsidered, publicly praising his recent efforts.
Although Ferrari has failed to claim a title since its Constructors' triumph back in 2008, Fernando Alonso has finished runner-up in the Drivers' standings for two of the past three seasons, and is again Sebastian Vettel's closest challenger so far this year.
And while claiming these narrow title losses were "through no fault" of Domenicali, di Montezemolo also stated that the 48-year-old was instrumental in securing the return of Kimi Räikkönen, who remains the marque's latest title winner with his 2007 feat.
"We would miss him," di Montezemolo told Gazzetta dello Sport. "He was the main factor in rehiring Kimi. He's done great work for the future. And let's not forget that twice in the last three years we've lost the title at the last race, through no fault of his."
Stefano Domenicali took over from Jean Todt as Ferrari's Team Principal in 2008.
Domenicali position not under threat
17 September 2013
Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo has made it clear that Stefano Domenicali's role as Team Principal is not being reconsidered, publicly praising his recent efforts.
Although Ferrari has failed to claim a title since its Constructors' triumph back in 2008, Fernando Alonso has finished runner-up in the Drivers' standings for two of the past three seasons, and is again Sebastian Vettel's closest challenger so far this year.
And while claiming these narrow title losses were "through no fault" of Domenicali, di Montezemolo also stated that the 48-year-old was instrumental in securing the return of Kimi Räikkönen, who remains the marque's latest title winner with his 2007 feat.
"We would miss him," di Montezemolo told Gazzetta dello Sport. "He was the main factor in rehiring Kimi. He's done great work for the future. And let's not forget that twice in the last three years we've lost the title at the last race, through no fault of his."
Stefano Domenicali took over from Jean Todt as Ferrari's Team Principal in 2008.
09-17-2013, 04:44 PM
#142
Late Porkchops
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^^^^^
Yes it is.
Time for him to go back and do that jail time he missed out on .
Has he ever been in anything where he did not comit fraud, or cheat, or steal, or otherwise turn in to a mess .
Ferrari and no other F1 team would touch him with anything but 10 foot chain and shackle if they have any sense .
Yes it is.
Time for him to go back and do that jail time he missed out on .
Has he ever been in anything where he did not comit fraud, or cheat, or steal, or otherwise turn in to a mess .
Ferrari and no other F1 team would touch him with anything but 10 foot chain and shackle if they have any sense .
09-17-2013, 04:44 PM
#143
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Full list:
1. Fernando Alonso F1 - $30m (salary/winnnings $28m; endorsements $2m)
2. Lewis Hamilton, F1 - $27.5m (salary/winnnings $26m; endorsements $1.5m)
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr, NASCAR - $26m (salary/winnnings $13m; endorsements $13m)
4. Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR - $24m (salary/winnnings $17.3m; endorsements $6.7m)
5. Valentino Rossi, MotoGP - $22m (salary/winnnings $12m; endorsements $10m)
6. Tony Stewart, NASCAR - $18.5m (salary/winnnings $12.5m; endorsements $6m)
7. Jeff Gordon, NASCAR - $18.2m (salary/winnnings $12.7m; endorsements $5.5m)
8. Sebastian Vettel, F1 - $18m (salary/winnnings $17m; endorsements $1m)
9. Danica Patrick, NASCAR - $15m (salary/winnnings $6m; endorsements $9m)
10. Jenson Button, F1 - $14m (salary/winnnings $14m)
1. Fernando Alonso F1 - $30m (salary/winnnings $28m; endorsements $2m)
2. Lewis Hamilton, F1 - $27.5m (salary/winnnings $26m; endorsements $1.5m)
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr, NASCAR - $26m (salary/winnnings $13m; endorsements $13m)
4. Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR - $24m (salary/winnnings $17.3m; endorsements $6.7m)
5. Valentino Rossi, MotoGP - $22m (salary/winnnings $12m; endorsements $10m)
6. Tony Stewart, NASCAR - $18.5m (salary/winnnings $12.5m; endorsements $6m)
7. Jeff Gordon, NASCAR - $18.2m (salary/winnnings $12.7m; endorsements $5.5m)
8. Sebastian Vettel, F1 - $18m (salary/winnnings $17m; endorsements $1m)
9. Danica Patrick, NASCAR - $15m (salary/winnnings $6m; endorsements $9m)
10. Jenson Button, F1 - $14m (salary/winnnings $14m)
09-17-2013, 04:54 PM
#144
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09-17-2013, 06:12 PM
#145
Late Porkchops
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Yeah , Vettel is a race driver first .
I bet he figures he aint doing bad. Besides the last 4 time multi time champ and more drove for quite a few years . I bet he is thinking he will too.
Of course, more cash never hurt .
He has some room to increase his endorsements . He can get Danica on board and working on that .
I bet he figures he aint doing bad. Besides the last 4 time multi time champ and more drove for quite a few years . I bet he is thinking he will too.
Of course, more cash never hurt .
He has some room to increase his endorsements . He can get Danica on board and working on that .
09-17-2013, 06:24 PM
#146
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that list seems a bit light to me, example, we all know Jenson Button does Mobil 1 commercials and I'm sure he's not getting paid in soda cookies
09-17-2013, 11:02 PM
#148
I trust everyone caught the Lotus tweet http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/m...t-8809561.html
09-17-2013, 11:03 PM
#149
^^^^^
Yes it is.
Time for him to go back and do that jail time he missed out on .
Has he ever been in anything where he did not comit fraud, or cheat, or steal, or otherwise turn in to a mess .
Ferrari and no other F1 team would touch him with anything but 10 foot chain and shackle if they have any sense .
Yes it is.
Time for him to go back and do that jail time he missed out on .
Has he ever been in anything where he did not comit fraud, or cheat, or steal, or otherwise turn in to a mess .
Ferrari and no other F1 team would touch him with anything but 10 foot chain and shackle if they have any sense .
Last edited by Bob Rouleau; 09-17-2013 at 11:45 PM. Reason: remove political stuff
09-20-2013, 08:52 AM
#150
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McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh said that any team would welcome Fernando Alonso as the F1 paddock grapevine links the Spaniard with a return to Woking in 2014.
McLaren wouldn’t shy from Alonso return
Singapore Grand Prix: McLaren wouldn’t shy from Alonso return
Despite expecting to field an unchanged line-up in 2014, McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh says that the Woking squad would not hesitate to snap up Fernando Alonso if the Spaniard gets cold feet at the thought of partnering Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari.
Both Jenson Button and Sergio Perez have intimated that extensions to their current deals are on the verge of being completed, but rumours continue to suggest that Alonso is not happy at Maranello and, following this week's confirmation of Raikkonen's return, could be looking to move on. With the door at Red Bull – once thought to have been left open following talks between Christian Horner and Alonso's manager – having been slammed shut behind Daniel Ricciardo, only Lotus and McLaren offer similar levels of potential for the Spaniard.
The double world champion – and his links to sponsor Santander - have already been mentioned in connection with a return to the Enstone bosom, having enjoyed two stints at the team in its Renault guise, but the Singapore Grand Prix weekend opened with suggestions that McLaren may be a more realistic destination, despite both the situation with its current drivers and the fact that Alonso left in far from amicable terms at the end of 2007.
Whitmarsh refused to dismiss the speculation when confronted with it in the Marina Bay paddock, insisting that any team in F1 would jump at the opportunity to sign a driver of the Spaniard's calibre.
"Yes, [I would] if I could," he told Sky Sports News, "Most teams up and down the pit-lane would happily sign Fernando Alonso, he's a very talented driver.
"I expect our driver line up for next year to stay the same, but we are open to anything and, in the long-term, he would be a great asset. "
Alonso's current deal supposedly ties him to Ferrari until 2016, and Ferrari's confirmation of Raikkonen effectively reinforced that, but there has been notable friction between the Spaniard and chairman Luca di Montezemolo in recent weeks, and the signing of Raikkonen – despite platitudes on all sides – will be seen as a threat to the dominance the driver has enjoyed alongside Felipe Massa since 2010.
"Fernando is in charge of his own destiny, but we'll see," Whitmarsh teased, aware that the previous barriers to Alonso's return – namely former team boss Ron Dennis and team-mate Lewis Hamilton – have both moved on, "It's wrong for me to comment on what's going on in Ferrari, but people were surprised with the recruitment of Kimi, not because Kimi isn't massively talented or through surprise that Kimi would want to go to Ferrari, but whether it is a sustainable line-up.”
Santander, of course, is a former partner of McLaren, which bids farewell to Vodafone as title sponsor at the end of 2013. With Mexican backing for Perez looking unlikely to grow next season, and Button not bringing a major sponsor to the team, neither of the current line-up is entirely safe from the threat of Alonso.
“Let's be frank, people want to sign Fernando Alonso because he is one of the best motor racing drivers in the world at the moment,” Whitmarsh concluded, “He is an asset to any team. In all probability, we will have the same line-up next year. Being realistic, that's what I think will happen, but we'll see...”
McLaren wouldn’t shy from Alonso return
Singapore Grand Prix: McLaren wouldn’t shy from Alonso return
Despite expecting to field an unchanged line-up in 2014, McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh says that the Woking squad would not hesitate to snap up Fernando Alonso if the Spaniard gets cold feet at the thought of partnering Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari.
Both Jenson Button and Sergio Perez have intimated that extensions to their current deals are on the verge of being completed, but rumours continue to suggest that Alonso is not happy at Maranello and, following this week's confirmation of Raikkonen's return, could be looking to move on. With the door at Red Bull – once thought to have been left open following talks between Christian Horner and Alonso's manager – having been slammed shut behind Daniel Ricciardo, only Lotus and McLaren offer similar levels of potential for the Spaniard.
The double world champion – and his links to sponsor Santander - have already been mentioned in connection with a return to the Enstone bosom, having enjoyed two stints at the team in its Renault guise, but the Singapore Grand Prix weekend opened with suggestions that McLaren may be a more realistic destination, despite both the situation with its current drivers and the fact that Alonso left in far from amicable terms at the end of 2007.
Whitmarsh refused to dismiss the speculation when confronted with it in the Marina Bay paddock, insisting that any team in F1 would jump at the opportunity to sign a driver of the Spaniard's calibre.
"Yes, [I would] if I could," he told Sky Sports News, "Most teams up and down the pit-lane would happily sign Fernando Alonso, he's a very talented driver.
"I expect our driver line up for next year to stay the same, but we are open to anything and, in the long-term, he would be a great asset. "
Alonso's current deal supposedly ties him to Ferrari until 2016, and Ferrari's confirmation of Raikkonen effectively reinforced that, but there has been notable friction between the Spaniard and chairman Luca di Montezemolo in recent weeks, and the signing of Raikkonen – despite platitudes on all sides – will be seen as a threat to the dominance the driver has enjoyed alongside Felipe Massa since 2010.
"Fernando is in charge of his own destiny, but we'll see," Whitmarsh teased, aware that the previous barriers to Alonso's return – namely former team boss Ron Dennis and team-mate Lewis Hamilton – have both moved on, "It's wrong for me to comment on what's going on in Ferrari, but people were surprised with the recruitment of Kimi, not because Kimi isn't massively talented or through surprise that Kimi would want to go to Ferrari, but whether it is a sustainable line-up.”
Santander, of course, is a former partner of McLaren, which bids farewell to Vodafone as title sponsor at the end of 2013. With Mexican backing for Perez looking unlikely to grow next season, and Button not bringing a major sponsor to the team, neither of the current line-up is entirely safe from the threat of Alonso.
“Let's be frank, people want to sign Fernando Alonso because he is one of the best motor racing drivers in the world at the moment,” Whitmarsh concluded, “He is an asset to any team. In all probability, we will have the same line-up next year. Being realistic, that's what I think will happen, but we'll see...”