F1Zone

Julia wrote:

sleenster wrote:

Boudica wrote:Serious I wish Renault will just keep quiet, they are contradicting themselves. On the one hand they are talking about how important commercial viability is, and then they turn around and say that Petrov's place in the team doesn't depend on money. So what are they actually saying? It seems like they are just talking to keep their name in press and unfortunately they are using Kimi to do so. I bet the Robertsons wish they have never spoken to Renault.

It's becoming increasingly clear to me that Renault have no interest in Kimi.

.. or they know that they probably cant get him ... but they still seem to be in shock that they got th phone call and are going to hype it so long as they can... as I said I dont actually think its bad PR if you have to choose between no PR at all... the amount of speculation about it is very good when robertsons are negotiating with RB.

sammyosammy wrote:Thanks Iceman..

All this Renault-hazzle confirms it to me..Kimi hasn´t even considered the team as an alternative. Robertsons are playing their games, Renault their´s. The focus of the yellow team and the focus of Kimi and his managers is in totally different direction. They are building a smoke screen, both of them. But, they just might be doing it together? Or using each other?

I have a feeling that we´ll get plenty of this ´till x-mas time. Learn to like it, learn to enjoy it..

Claudie_Schnaudie wrote:Maybe they´re pissed at Kimi/Robertson´s behaviour as well? First no then yes and later maybe no again

sleenster wrote:

Claudie_Schnaudie wrote:Maybe they´re pissed at Kimi/Robertson´s behaviour as well? First no then yes and later maybe no again

Methinks so too. I think they are also enjoying the fact that they are now in a position where they can say no to Kimi.

Julia wrote:http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86759

Commercial side key to Raikkonen fate

By Jonathan Noble Friday, September 17th 2010, 16:24 GMT

Gerard LopezRenault F1 chairman Gerard Lopez says Kimi Raikkonen's approach to the team will not sway it from making a decision on its 2011 line-up based on what makes most sense commercially.

Although the signing of a former world champion would be a big boost to Renault's aspirations of fighting for the title next year, Lopez says that the outfit will not be blinded by the prospects of being able to lure a star name like Raikkonen back to F1.

In an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT, Lopez said that it was far too early to suggest the outfit was keen to pursue the Raikkonen option - and his team still had to balance out the financial attractions of having a driver like Vitaly Petrov against the benefits of paying for a big-name star.

"It's funny because people now think things are going well and we're going to change drivers," he said. "There's a certain rally driver that wasn't interested in Formula 1 but now has made contact and is interested in coming back to F1, funnily enough with us, but we're not there yet."

Lopez says that the team's decision on its second driver will still be motivated by financial factors - as the outfit seeks the levels of sponsorship and investment that it believes it will need to fight for the title next year.

"It's very important, " he said when asked if financial considerations were still important. "As I said, we use Formula 1, and we have to push our team to succeed because we use the platform to do business. And you know, it's a question of image.

Soren wrote:

Julia wrote:http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86759

Commercial side key to Raikkonen fate

By Jonathan Noble Friday, September 17th 2010, 16:24 GMT

Gerard LopezRenault F1 chairman Gerard Lopez says Kimi Raikkonen's approach to the team will not sway it from making a decision on its 2011 line-up based on what makes most sense commercially.

Although the signing of a former world champion would be a big boost to Renault's aspirations of fighting for the title next year, Lopez says that the outfit will not be blinded by the prospects of being able to lure a star name like Raikkonen back to F1.

In an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT, Lopez said that it was far too early to suggest the outfit was keen to pursue the Raikkonen option - and his team still had to balance out the financial attractions of having a driver like Vitaly Petrov against the benefits of paying for a big-name star.

"It's funny because people now think things are going well and we're going to change drivers," he said. "There's a certain rally driver that wasn't interested in Formula 1 but now has made contact and is interested in coming back to F1, funnily enough with us, but we're not there yet."

Lopez says that the team's decision on its second driver will still be motivated by financial factors - as the outfit seeks the levels of sponsorship and investment that it believes it will need to fight for the title next year.

"It's very important, " he said when asked if financial considerations were still important. "As I said, we use Formula 1, and we have to push our team to succeed because we use the platform to do business. And you know, it's a question of image.

This makes me laugh. Hard

I like Lopez but anyone with half a mind can see that this is just a smokescreen to hide the gigantic boner he has in his pants from Kimis people contacting them. Of course he isnt gonna go out and say: "Yay! Kimiii!!" Even though he probably wants to.
And I fully understand that. Its part of the game. If Kimi signed with Renault then I hardly think sponsorship is going to be the biggest problem.

Soren wrote:

Julia wrote:http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86759

Commercial side key to Raikkonen fate

By Jonathan Noble Friday, September 17th 2010, 16:24 GMT

Gerard LopezRenault F1 chairman Gerard Lopez says Kimi Raikkonen's approach to the team will not sway it from making a decision on its 2011 line-up based on what makes most sense commercially.

Although the signing of a former world champion would be a big boost to Renault's aspirations of fighting for the title next year, Lopez says that the outfit will not be blinded by the prospects of being able to lure a star name like Raikkonen back to F1.

In an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT, Lopez said that it was far too early to suggest the outfit was keen to pursue the Raikkonen option - and his team still had to balance out the financial attractions of having a driver like Vitaly Petrov against the benefits of paying for a big-name star.

"It's funny because people now think things are going well and we're going to change drivers," he said. "There's a certain rally driver that wasn't interested in Formula 1 but now has made contact and is interested in coming back to F1, funnily enough with us, but we're not there yet."

Lopez says that the team's decision on its second driver will still be motivated by financial factors - as the outfit seeks the levels of sponsorship and investment that it believes it will need to fight for the title next year.

"It's very important, " he said when asked if financial considerations were still important. "As I said, we use Formula 1, and we have to push our team to succeed because we use the platform to do business. And you know, it's a question of image.

This makes me laugh. Hard

I like Lopez but anyone with half a mind can see that this is just a smokescreen to hide the gigantic boner he has in his pants from Kimis people contacting them. Of course he isnt gonna go out and say: "Yay! Kimiii!!" Even though he probably wants to.
And I fully understand that. Its part of the game. If Kimi signed with Renault then I hardly think sponsorship is going to be the biggest problem.

sammyosammy wrote:Thanks Iceman..

All this Renault-hazzle confirms it to me..Kimi hasn´t even considered the team as an alternative. Robertsons are playing their games, Renault their´s. The focus of the yellow team and the focus of Kimi and his managers is in totally different direction. They are building a smoke screen, both of them. But, they just might be doing it together? Or using each other?

I have a feeling that we´ll get plenty of this ´till x-mas time. Learn to like it, learn to enjoy it..

Robertson is an extremely shrewd individual. Even his critics say he can read the minds of team principals. He is believed to study their psyche in his spare time so that he can deal with them more effectively. In his short career in the paddock he has already negotiated with Frank Williams, Flavio Briatore, Ron Dennis and Jean Todt, and bested all of them.

Anyone who has had negotiations with him of any kind is aware of his skills. As one associate says: “He is the sort of man, and this is not said impolitely, with whom one counts ones fingers after shaking his hand. He probably secretly relishes that reputation.”

It is important to emphasise that at that stage of the 2005 season, in spite of Robertson’s reputation, Dennis thought he held all the cards. Räikkönen was dominating the latter half of the 2005 season and McLaren was the top team. Conversely Ferrari was in the doldrums – why would Räikkönen want to go there even if he could?

And Renault was out of the equation. Everyone thought Alonso was a fixture at Renault. When Dennis let Räikkönen’s option lapse he knew, or at least thought he knew, that he could simply wait for Robertson to accept his offer.

But Robertson sensed something different. He sensed discontent in the McLaren organisation, a sense of drift. He had picked up that Adrian Newey was leaving and that Nick Tombazis might do the same. He also thought most of Ferrari’s problems were tyre related and solvable; he knew that Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne had not suddenly become bad engineers.

But Robertson kept his counsel with Dennis and said he would get back to him.
Robertson considered his options and marched over to the Ferrari motorhome to get the lie of the land. He imagined negotiations with Todt alone would be a waste of time. So he sought to engage Montezemolo and Todt together. Again the wily operator had picked up their differences on his radar and thought he might be able to divide and conquer. He was absolutely correct. Whilst Todt was cool to the idea of hiring Räikkönen, Montezemolo was more than keen. But there were complications. Ferrari already had an option with Valentino Rossi and Todt doubted openly that Schumacher would want Räikkönen alongside him. But Robertson spoke privately to Montezemolo. Soon the two men agreed to sign Räikkönen to an option in Ferrari’s favour for a year, and to pay for the privilege.

But Robertson was not out of the woods. At that point he did not think Ferrari would actually sign Räikkönen. But it was his leverage on Ron Dennis. Robertson made sure by judicious leaks to journalist friends that it got around the paddock about Ferrari’s option. Dennis’s bluff had been publicly called.