Kimi's returning to F1

[Alex 111s]

Lotus -Renault sign Kimi on a 2 year deal

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula ... 934329.stm

[Corranga]

Interesting...

Who's out then, Petrov or Senna? Or both (with the potential for Kubica returning).
Both have done fairly well at different parts of the year.
Also, a 2 year deal.
From what I've read, Kubica won't be back at the start of the year, but they seem sure he'll be ready later in the year. Rumours floating around about him replacing Massa for 2013, but Renault wanting him signed into a 2 year contract, or maybe not letting him drive this year

It also says...

Raikkonen's new team will be known as Lotus F1 Team from 2012

I was under the impression that F1 was a trademark, and Bernie didn't let the teams use it (or probably charged a hefty and a bit pointless fee for it's use anyway), hence we have GP being used for most teams...

Chris

[ryallm]

Great news! The Ice Man, the coolest F1 driver of the last 10 years returns, and not in a dog slow Williams as expected

The Kubica situation is fascinating. If the rumour is true it is a big risk for Ferrari to sign him for 2013 - will he be competitive again?Hope I am wrong, but there is plenty of recent evidence that F1 drivers are never quite the same after a serious injury, even if they make a full recovery physically (Massa and Ralf Schumacher for example).

Mark

[Shug]

Hmmm, not sure on the logic of this. A bloke who's consistently shown an inability to maintain drive through adversity (by all accounts, his rallying career was the same) going to a team who are in a building phase... I'm all for drivers with a bit of colour, as long as their definition of 'colour' isn't buggering off, getting pissed and not bothering to do their job well enough...

I'm assuming Senna will be going, as Petrov brings a big cash bung. That's a shame, as (the F1 commentary team reiterated this point in the forum on Sunday) he's done much better than expected and is a good little pedaller. He's not actually been racing cars that long - the reverse of what you'd imagine applied in that his mother didn't want him to follow in his uncle's footsteps, so he didn't drive a racing car till he was much older than most and never did the years in Karting. He had to fight to go racing. So, from a shaky foundation, he's turned into a pretty good driver who, I think, with more experience could actually be a great one. Shame for him to pedal his heart out and get some really good results in a dog of a car (second half of the season) to be turfed out by a bloke who didn't give a sh*t when he left the sport...

[Lazydonkey]

over-hyped and over-paid.....i'm with shug on this one

[Scotty C]

Watch on YouTube

[ryallm]

That is an all time classic Kimi moment - F1 needs more individuals who don't give a sh*t rather than usual automaton drivers who will never step out of line for fear of upsetting the team or the sponsors. Agree that you could make a bit of a case for saying Kimi is a lazy and overpaid, but he also has huge natural talent, and more importantly, adds a bit of colour. Put it this way, what will make for a for entertaining season, Bruno or Kimi in the car? No contest.

[kenny]

Looks like the end for Kubica as well.

[shooomer]

maybe eddie irvine will return too?

[j2 lot]

agree with Shug and Donkey, I think Kimi is character and probably a good guy to know but not sure if he has the drive to take a mid field team forward.
Good PR for Lotus to have an ex world champion but if you look at how Schumi has struggled to emulate his former greatness and then look at Kimi's motivation in rallying and at times F1
I would have liked to see them stick with Senna

[StiflerMR2]

Kimi wanted Williams to pay him 30m euros for 2012 (30% of Williams annual budget).

They counter offered with a salary of 6m and 10m in stock for 2012 and 2013. He said no. Renault (Lotus) must have burst the bank to get him.

Tbh it's Grosjean I'm feeling upset for - in his 2009 season he was in an inferior machine to Alonso for each race he competed in, and was still only 0.5s behind in in qualy the majority of the time. He also showed last weekend in FP1 what he's made off.

And rumour is the Kubica deal is already inked for 2013. Also, I told you Sutil would be driving for Williams next year. I still see it that way, unless d'Ambriosio has managed a deal with them.

[Corranga]

**stuff about Senna**

I agree a bit. Senna did fairly well in the Renault, but imo isn't as good as many of the others out there, who either may end up with no drive, or have not had a drive recently - Chandok, Hulkenberg and others..

As Shug says, Senna lacks experience, and for me anyway, F1 is NOT the place to be building experience. He is in F1 because of his name, and yes, he has made a decent job of it, and does have the talent for F1, but I'm not sure he should be there yet. Another season or 2 outside of F1 could have made him so much more, and had he been called Bruno Randomname, he wouldn't be in F1.
I hope he gets a drive elsewhere as his problem problem now is that he isn't going to go backwards to a lower formula.
He'll either get a drive with another team, or he'll float about as a test driver and watch his career pass by, so it may be, in a way, a good driver wasted, and all because Mr I got bored with F1 has now become bored by rallying

It's good for F1 (Bernie?) having Kimi back from a promotional perspective, a world champion is one of the greats, and another one in the field is a good thing.
Watching him replace
Seeing him in a slow, crap Williams, for me would have been better, as it would have most probably been replacing Rubens, who is old, getting worse, and should retire rather than young and getting better Senna..

Chris

[BigD]

That is an all time classic Kimi moment - F1 needs more individuals who don't give a sh*t rather than usual automaton drivers who will never step out of line for fear of upsetting the team or the sponsors. Agree that you could make a bit of a case for saying Kimi is a lazy and overpaid, but he also has huge natural talent, and more importantly, adds a bit of colour. Put it this way, what will make for a for entertaining season, Bruno or Kimi in the car? No contest.

I liked him and remember a story about him getting his willy out at one of the afterparties, it's different.

I also liked Hakkinen who was seen as dull at the time but he just had a very dry sense of humour which appealed to me.

[meatball]

D,
He gets his Willy out and you like him???

[BigD]

D,
He gets his Willy out and you like him???

Just for the drunken antics of it, no other reason, honest. Shows a bit of character.