Kimi rejects $72m McLaren deal

last SG · 2006-03-24T15:59:32+00:00

Ferrari desperately needs to find a MS replacement and the best way to crown the new ""king"" is to let him beat the old king fair and square.

[email protected] SG

will Kimi move to Ferrari if they don't do well then? Because altho Ferrari has had a long illustrious history in F1, lets not forget they had a 20 year slump, and also their financial situation can not stay the same forever. In fact I see their golden era has ended and while they might still be one of the best, winning is no longer guranteed.

I'd expect honestly that Kimi would have a better chance at McLaren because with McLaren I can see a peak period coming, after a slump of about 4 to 5 years. Pay-wise, I doubt if he would get less than Alonso. Neither would he be playing #2 to Alonso. If u look at Ron's way of running his drivers, he is actually much more fairer than a lot of other team principals in terms of paying them and gving them support.

Anyways in any case, I don't think Ferrari is a good place to end up for the next few years. IF theres anywhere he should move, Renault is a better deal. Their being strong now will help secure a future for them.

Gazelle SG

Ferrari with not go through the same financial slump they had in the past because Ferrari can float the company anytime and billionaire such as bernie, will rush to buy up a stake in the company. This year alone, Forbes has recorded 793 billionaires, and I bet 90% of them will own a ferrari, all will be very keen to be a stake holder in the company.

you cant just write off Ferrari just because 1 year of slump, which we all know it was mainly due to bridgestone and tyre change rules. Mclaren? They are a great team now, but what is going to happen next season no one knows because many key technical people has left Ron for other team.

Unless you have work with Ron before, or else what you are saying are pure speculation. If his is such a nice guy, then why did Adrian Newey keep speculating about retiring from F1 to build yacht, and then he suddenly switch to work for a smaller team and bring along with him his technical team.

Mclaren is in debt because of the technical centre, and I can assure you that Mclaren pocket will not be as deep as ferrari when it comes to paying his driver.

Kuali Baba SG

McLaren's finances actually look better because they've scored with Emirates, Vodafone and JW. Ferrari on the other hand will lose Philip Morris (Marlboro) and Vodafone. The profits from the sales of their cars contribute to only a tiny part of the team's budget.

Over the last 2 races, Michelin still seem to have an advantage over Bridgestone (despite all the testing that Ferrari did in Bahrain). It's not going to be a major factor in Kimi's decision as the former are pulling out at the end of the year. Still, watching how the current technical team fare is his best bet.

Gazelle SG

Emirates, Voda and JW will probably only make up for the departure of imperial tobacco (West) sponsorship. And Emirate deal with Mclaren is believe to beonly for 1 year and partyly because the red front and rear wing livery will have to make way for vodaphone in 2007.

From what I know Ferrari has already signed contract extension with Philip Morris untill year 2011 and the team will be called Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Team. Market speculate that ferrari is set to gain around US$1b over six years, and this will easily make up the loses from vodafone.

iveco SG

Gaz, is the photo real? Surprised

Gazelle SG

hopefully it will be in 2007. Laughing

[email protected] SG

disagree. Adrian's leaving is more to do with 2 reasons:

1) Red Bull paying insane amounts of money for personel.

2) Adrian needing a new challenge.

Red Bull is paying such insane amounts of money that its not just McLaren who's losing personel to them. Others up n down on the grid, namely Renault, are losing personal to them too. And if U wanted to poach personel, what better than to poach them from last seasons's 2 strongest teams?

Also, Podromu alone does not make up an entire technical team. A technical team is much bigger. And I'm not even talking about the lower ranking designers. I'm talking about key HODs.

And finally its a well known fact that Adrian wanted a new challenge and that the main reason for his defection is that he felt that he'd done enough to bring McLaren out of their 3 year slump. He might have retired from F1 but the competitiveness of the 03 McLaren rekindled his interest for F1. Then, in 05, the appearance of a team that is rich enough to afford him and yet midfield enough to present a mental challenge to him, is the key to him moving to another team. It has little to do with how Ron treats him. If he was treated so badly, there would always have been other teams willing to pay top money for him. The reason he jumped ship to RBR is the very reason he wanted to jump ship to Jag Rac. If Ron is such a bad boss do u think he'd have talked Adrian out of what was an effectively signed contract with Bobby?

Finally, I would personally doubt that McLaren is in debt. It is foolish to put down the team on the grid with the 2nd longest racing heritage and history as being in debt due to a new facility. The truth can't be further away. They might not be Ferrari but they are undoubtly the best british racing team ever. Looking at the glut of sponsers falling over each other to sign up with McLaren, I'd say financially they're certainly in the Pink. On the other hand, if Ferrari was as financially solvent as u say, then Luca shouldn't have needed to make those 'cottage industry' comments recently.

[email protected] SG

ahahah
no wonder... someone is a Ferrari fan ah. Die die want to say Ferrari financially got no problem. Sure... one year slump dun indicate a problem. I'll just remind u that ANY team on the grid, ferrari included, can easily go into a prolonged slump. Don't think Ferrari is immune to that. U'd be deluded if u believe that. Maybe u forgot the great 20 year slump from 1980 to 1999. I can't even find a slump THAT long for McLaren. Laughing

Gazelle SG

I think you have just explained why kimi has no intention to stay at Mclaren.

[email protected] SG

well Kimi hasn't won a World Championship with McLaren yet. Imagine how it looks if Alonso comes to McLaren n wins one with them. People would say Kimi couldn't win a world championship with Maccie but put in a world champ like Alonso and he can do it. It would make Kimi seem silly. Worse he'd have to run to Ferrari n admit he's not good enuf to win it on his own regardless of team, he needs a team which plays unsportingly and has a 'master' and 'bitch' ranking for its drivers to win.

If thats not a challenge to Kimi I don't know what is. And Ferrari are not red bull, they're not the ones paying absurd amounts of dosh to poach everyone. Kimi isn't going to get schumi's pay at Ferrari, so if its dosh he's after, Ferrari doesn't seem likely either.

Gazelle SG

Me ferrari fan? hahaa..not lah my favrourite team on the grid at moment is still the williams and favourite driver is kimi. But I am pretty sure you are a die hard mclaren or should I say, DaimlerChrysler fan. Laughing

I dont believe you will go into a prolong slump in F1 today as long as you are financially sound. Not sure what is your definition of slump? Is being second or third on the grid considered as slump?

[email protected] SG

hmm... I define a slump as a period of non-competitiveness. A drought of wins.

As for me, haha. No I'm 1st and foremost a diehard McLaren fan, since age 3. I'm also a Mercedes fan since young. Its just nice for me that they've partnered each other later on. Smile

Gazelle SG

What you are saying is just one possible scenario. what if alonso win the world champion while having kimi as team mate? And ferrari starts winning races again. not possible?

If kimi's goal is to beat alonso, I think the best chance would be for kimi and juan leave mclaren as the same time. (Juan to RB and Kimi to Ferrari), and mclaren will suffer because of a shortage of experence drivers in the team. (Dont forget Alex Wurz and AN is no longer at Mclaren). This is exactly what happen to Williams when they let Juan and Ralf leave the team at the same time.

I am pretty sure all team managers will be very happy if all drivers will thinks like you. Unfortunately for F1, money will always an issue when it comes to team and driver selection.

Gazelle SG

Then what is the big deal if kimi leave for ferrari or not? Laughing

[email protected] SG

possible, but hey, im just pointing out the flaws in yr argument. U said my reply shows why Kimi wants to leave McLaren. And so, whats the bigger challenge? Staying on at McLaren or leaving? Staying on and beating a world champion team mate, while securing the championship for himself, is the biggest challenge he could accept. Sure he could go to Ferrari but either way, whether Ferrari starts winning a lot again or not, isn't going to be the best for his image.

Also, Im just pointing out the other flaw in that if u say Kimi is doing it for the money, he'd hop off to RBR.

[email protected] SG

it'd be a pity. I admire Kimi loads but if he chooses not to take up the challenge of beating Alonso in the same team and winning the world championship, and to go to a dirty team like Ferrari no less, then it'd be a pity, and my respect for him will undoubtly drop a lot.

Gazelle SG

I was just pointing out to you that Ferrari is not in any financial difficulties and stating that PM has signed a 6 years contract with them. (You say I ferrari fan) WTF??? Laughing

When I say Mclaren is in debt (not crisis) because of the technology centre. You say they are in PINK!! WTF

When did I say that Kimi is doing it ONLY for the money? If he is in for the money, then Toyota will be the team, not Ferrari isnt it?

You are assuming the mclaren is the ONLY team that can produce a championship winning car for kimi. That is a big FLAW to me.

[email protected] SG

Well thats because I think I'm starting to see some hints of their being in some financial concern. If u're not a Ferrari fan, I apologise. But your insistance in ignoring the subtle signs were perplexing.

This is because I do think they are in the pink. Being in debt is like having a mortgage. A company might owe some cash, but with a company like McLaren, where the inflow is so much higher than the debt incured by that outflow, its certainly a small matter. Why bring it up, other than to try to use it as a debating point for saying its in a crisis? Of course if u're not actually trying to say it's in debt then once again, I apologise, but a smart person like u should not have failed to see that any large company like McLaren manages its finances carefully and that money for hiring drivers would already have been budgeted for. Certainly McLaren could afford Kimi, so I don't understand why u're talking about the debt from the technology center unless u're wishing to imply that they will not be able to afford him due to this debt

im not assuming McLaren is the only team that can make a championship winning car for Kimi. I believe Renault and perhaps Ferrari could do it too. But Kimi would boost his reputation so much more by staying at McLaren n beating Alonso to the title. Sure he might lose, but which racing driver truely believes they're inferior to their rivals? Deep down its that self belief which drives them to race. I know that too well. If Kimi is already thinking he can't beat Alonso when they're in the same team, then perhaps he's not worth the respect, or supporting afterall.

Gazelle SG

Why should Kimi wait until next year to be fighting for championship? Laughing Does he need to prove that he his faster than Alonso? I thought he already did last season?

Fiat financial difficulties are old news which people have been talking about it for the last few seasons. You are only starting to see some "hint"?

Why bring it up? Because the cost of buiding that technology centre is around S$1,000,000,000, (Yes 1 Billion). Btw, where does mclaren get all their incomes beside F1 and selling SLR?

Originally posted by [email protected]:
im not assuming McLaren is the only team that can make a championship winning car for Kimi. I believe Renault and perhaps Ferrari could do it too. But Kimi would boost his reputation so much more by staying at McLaren n beating Alonso to the title. Sure he might lose, but which racing driver truely believes they're inferior to their rivals? Deep down its that self belief which drives them to race. I know that too well. If Kimi is already thinking he can't beat Alonso when they're in the same team, then perhaps he's not worth the respect, or supporting afterall.

what kimi need is to win the championship, regardless which team or with which team mate. He has already proven to be faster than alonso and Juan on many occasions and every F1 fans believes he is very fast and probably the best on the grid, hence I dont think he need mclaren (or [email protected] Smile ) to set up the perfect stage for a kimi-alonso showdown.

Is there any need for him to boost his reputation when Mclaren is not going to pay for it?

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