Kimi Räikkönen

Kimi Räikkönen is the best !!! :)

Friday, June 23, 2006

Raikkonens Future Still Uncertain


Kimi Raikkonen has left the door open for McLaren to cling on to him for next season after admitting he has not yet decided where his future lies.
The Finn is out of contract at McLaren but has been courted by world champions Renault and Ferrari, who were rumoured to have a pre-contract agreement with him.
However, McLaren boss Ron Dennis has always insisted his team remained contenders to resign the 26-year-old and Raikkonen confirmed that on Thursday.
Speaking ahead of this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, he confessed he has yet to make up his mind where to drive next year, hinting that McLaren could keep him if they improve their form.
He said: "There are many things before I will be 100% sure of what I want. It is small things but in the end for me these are big things.
"I just need to wait a little time and see where we are going - what is happening with our team. There are a few other options."
But Raikkonen denied he was waiting to learn Michael Schumacher's future before committing himself to a team - insisting he has no fear of taking on the seven-time world champion head to head.
Schumacher has put off a decision on whether to retire or remain at Ferrari until later in the season and he is believed to be unlikely to want a driver of Raikkonen's calibre alongside him.
Raikkonen denied that decision had an impact on where he will drive, adding: "It doesn't matter, the decision is my own.
"Alonso has signed a contract with McLaren, it doesn't make my decision any different. I will make the decision that is right for me."
Despite the uncertainty, Raikkonen claims he can remain focused on the task in hand, safe in the knowledge he will not be left without a top drive next year.
With Formula One's top three teams chasing him, Raikkonen is not short of attractive options and he prefers to concentrate on firing McLaren back to the top after a disappointing start to the season.
"It is no worry," he said. "I am happy with what is happening now, I don't really need to worry about next year or any other year.
"For sure I will be in Formula One so I don't need to worry about anything so I am happy. We will know at some point this year what is happening next year for me."
McLaren's form this year has severely hampered their bid to retain Raikkonen, with the Woking-based team slipping off the pace of Renault and Ferrari.
Last year McLaren boasted the fastest car on the grid but Raikkonen's challenge was blunted by reliability problems, a situation reversed this time around.
He admits that slump in form has been deflating but retains hope he can win again for McLaren before the season - and his current contract - is out.
The ex-Sauber driver, who won in Montreal 12 months ago, said: Hopefully we can repeat what happened last year.
"After last year everybody from the team was expecting us to be fighting for the championship and winning races but we are not in such a strong position as we were last year.
"The level of confidence is not as high as it was last year coming to this race. We still have a pretty good car so we just need to do the best that we can.
"There are some races where we can fight for wins if we get everything working."

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