JULY 29, 2012

Raikkonen back to Ferrari?

Kimi Raikkonen could be on his way back to Ferrari! Strange as it may seem, the 32-year-old Finn has been sounded out about a return to the Italian team.

Kimi Raikkonen, British GP 2008
© The Cahier Archive

BY TONY DODGINS (@TonyDodgins)

Kimi Raikkonen could be on his way back to Ferrari!

Strange as it may seem, the 32-year-old Finn, who won the 2007 world championship at Maranello before his contract was ended a year early in 2009 to facilitate the arrival of Fernando Alonso, has been sounded out about a return.

The word is that Ferrari has allowed the option date for the renewal of Felipe Massa's existing contract to expire and that, of the list of potential replacement candidates, Raikkonen is the preferred choice. At least by most people‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚     ‚ ‘‚    ‘‚   °‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚     ‚‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ž‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚    ‘‚   °‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚    ®‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚    ‘‚   °‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚     ‚ »‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚     ‚ ‘‚    ‘‚   °‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‚ ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ž‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚    ‘‚   °‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡®®‘‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚     ‚ ‘‚    ‘‚   °‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‚ ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ž‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚     ‚ ‘‚    ‘‚   °‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‚ ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚    ® ª‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚     ‚ ‘‚    ‘‚   °‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚     ‚‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ž‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚    ‘‚   °‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚     ‚ ‘‚    ‚ ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚    ‘‚   °‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚     ‚ »‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚     ‚ ‘‚    ‘‚   °‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‚ ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ž‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚    ‘‚   °®®œ®‘‚ ®®œ®® º®®œ® ‚ ®®œ®® º®®œ‘‚     ‚  ‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚     ‚ ‘‚    ‘‚   °‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚     ‚‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ž‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚    ‘‚   °‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚     ‚ ‘‚    ‚ ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚    ‚  ‚ ¡‘‚    ‘‚ ‘ ‘‚    ‘‚   °‘‚    ‚‘  ‚ ¡®‘‚   

The list is believed to be a long one, including Sergio Perez, Paul Di Resta, Nico Hulkenberg, and even Spanish GP winning Williams driver, Pastor Maldonado. The thinking is that while any of these drivers may perform better than Massa, whose stronger recent showings continued in qualifying at Hungaroring, it is not guaranteed.

Raikkonen, currently fourth in this year's championship, they feel is a safer bet: quick, consistent, and a man who worked well with the team last time around, even if he did not prove to be a natural leader. Importantly, he is also believed to be agreeable to Alonso.

A potential sticking point, however, is that Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo and Raikkonen are not believed to have parted on the best of terms. It remains to be seen whether that proves to be an insurmountable obstacle.