user icon
icon
link-icon
<< Return to the news list
'Raikkonen back to Ferrari' rumours swirl in Hungary

'Raikkonen back to Ferrari' rumours swirl in Hungary

  • Published on 30 Jul 2012 10:05
  • comments 0
  • By: Rob Veenstra
As he pushed for victory on Sunday, rumours Kimi Raikkonen is back on Ferrari's radar continued to swirl and flourish in the Hungaroring paddock. The rumour was given life by team boss Stefano Domenicali, when to Finnish broadcaster MTV3 he said Ferrari's number one Fernando Alonso and the team's departed 2007 world champion share "a lot of similarities". "The talk in the paddock this weekend is that Felipe (Massa) has already lost his drive for next season," Martin Brundle said on British television Sky.

A team 'insider' had earlier been quoted by the Sunday Times newspaper as saying Ferrari sees Finn, 32, as a better alternative than some of the others on the list to replace Massa. The source said many of the names - reportedly including Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, Paul di Resta, Heikki Kovalainen and even Kamui Kobayashi and Pastor Maldonado - would not necessarily be better than Massa. "Kimi would be a very good solution," he said. "Fast, experienced, unpolitical and out of contract at the end of the year. Fernando would have no problem having Kimi as his teammate."

The BBC's chief F1 writer Andrew Benson, however, quoted what he described as an 'unimpeachable source' who said the rumour is simply "rubbish". And even the Times' 'insider' admitted there is a major stumbling block. That obstacle, according to British columnist Mark Hughes, is surely Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo. The fabled marque's all-powerful Montezemolo and Raikkonen are said to have fallen out badly when Raikkonen was dropped at the end of 2009, pushing him into world rallying.

So while Montezemolo is reportedly "resistant to the idea" of Raikkonen coming back, the driver is said to have "vowed never to work with Montezemolo again", Hughes said. Raikkonen, after finishing one second behind winner Lewis Hamilton in Hungary, said on Sunday: "I always said that I have no bad feelings and I had a good time with the team. "You never know what happens in the future and I am happy where I am." (GMM)
F1 News Fernando Alonso Pastor Maldonado Lewis Hamilton Sergio Perez Ferrari

Replies (0)

Login to reply

BE Grand Prix of Belgium

Local time 

BEGrand Prix of Belgium

Local time 

World Championship standings 2024

Pos
Team
Points
1
Red Bull Racing
195
2
Ferrari
151
3
McLaren
96
4
Mercedes
52
5
Aston Martin
40
6
Visa Cash App RB
7
7
Haas F1
5
Show full world champion standings

Test calendar

Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing

See full test schedule

Related news

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Bahrain
29 - Mar 2
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24
Australia
Albert Park
5 - Apr 7
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
19 - Apr 21
China
Shanghai International Circuit
3 - May 5
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
17 - May 19
Italy
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
24 - May 26
Monaco
Monte Carlo
7 - Jun 9
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
21 - Jun 23
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
28 - Jun 30
Austria
Red Bull Ring
5 - Jul 7
United Kingdom
Silverstone
19 - Jul 21
Hungary
Hungaroring
26 - Jul 28
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1
Italy
Monza
13 - Sep 15
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
20 - Sep 22
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
18 - Oct 20
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
25 - Oct 27
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
1 - Nov 3
Brazil
Interlagos
22 - Nov 24
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
29 - Dec 1
Qatar
Losail International Circuit
6 - Dec 8
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
29 - Mar 2
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24
Australia Albert Park
5 - Apr 7
Japan Circuit Suzuka
19 - Apr 21
China Shanghai International Circuit
3 - May 5
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
17 - May 19
Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
24 - May 26
Monaco Monte Carlo
7 - Jun 9
Canada Gilles Villeneuve
21 - Jun 23
Spain Circuit de Catalunya
28 - Jun 30
Austria Red Bull Ring
5 - Jul 7
United Kingdom Silverstone
19 - Jul 21
Hungary Hungaroring
26 - Jul 28
Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1
Italy Monza
13 - Sep 15
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
20 - Sep 22
Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit
18 - Oct 20
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
25 - Oct 27
Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
1 - Nov 3
Brazil Interlagos
22 - Nov 24
United States of America Las Vegas Street Circuit
29 - Dec 1
Qatar Losail International Circuit
6 - Dec 8
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
See full schedule

Driver profile

ES Fernando Alonso 14
  • Team Aston Martin
  • Points 533
  • Podiums 9
  • Grand Prix 149
  • Country ES
  • Date of b. Jul 29 1981 (42)
  • Place of b. Oviedo, ES
  • Weight 68 kg
  • Length 1.71 m
Show full profile

Team profile

Ferrari
Ferrari
Show full profile
show sidebar