Sauber’s wunderkind, Kimi Raikkonen, may be hot property in Formula One at the moment, but he’s quashed rumours that he will land Michael Schumacher’s seat at Ferrari when the German retires.
Sauber wunderkind Kimi Raikkonen may be hot property in Formula One at the moment, but he’s quashed rumours that he will land Michael Schumacher’s seat at Ferrari when the German retires.
Raikkonen has been linked to a future drive with the Maranello team due to Sauber’s customer Ferrari engine deal. But the young Finn has told Autosport that his heart is not set on a move to the Italian team. Instead, he wants a drive “in the best seat possible, wherever that might be”.
“It is nice to hear from people about the Ferrari stories, but I don’t really follow that,” said Raikkonen. “I would just be happy if I got in one of the top teams, and I don’t really mind which it is. I guess it doesn’t matter if it is McLaren, Williams or Ferrari.
“You never know if Ferrari are going to go down the order, or who is going to come up and who will win,” he added. “I don’t read this speculation, and I think people are saying too much. But this happens in F1. Everyone gets a bit mad.”
Raikkonen also denied having had lengthy discussions with Ferrari’s Jean Todt, who had expressed interest in the Sauber driver. But Raikkonen says he has talked only briefly to Todt.
“I have only met Todt once at the beginning of the year when we had a test with Sauber at Fiorano,” said Raikkonen. “The only people I speak to from Ferrari are the engine guys, because of Sauber’s deal with them.”
