Formula 1 2007 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen will not be racing in the 2010 Formula One season. The Finn has decided that he will miss the season, as he wanted to drive for the McLaren team, or non at all.
His manager, Steve Robertson, has said they were not currently negotiating with any other teams in F1 and that they were beginning to look at other teams in other forms of motorsport, including rallying.
"The choices in Formula One for the next season were McLaren or nothing. Kimi and McLaren could not reach an agreement so he will not drive on Formula One level for at least next season," Robertson said in an interview with the Turun Sanomat newspaper.
Raikkonen left McLaren at the end of 2006 to drive for Ferrari, as Michael Schumacher's replacement. Fernando Alonso was given his seat at McLaren. After a stormy season, Alonso left at the end of the 2007 season and returned back to Renault.
Alonso was then confirmed, at the end of September, as Kimi Raikkonen's replacement at Ferrari for 2010, even though the Finn still had a year left on his contract.
Ferrari then bought Raikkonen out of his contract, leaving the Finn to find another drive for 2010, or miss out the season altogether. Raikkonen was offered $10 million if he secured a seat at another team for 2010, and $17 million if he opted to miss out the season.
Raikkonen's number one choice was his previous team McLaren, though the team was very unhappy about paying him too much.
Mclaren wanted to pay Raikkonen $5 million, which, combined with his $10 million from Ferrari, would give him a wage of $15 million. Raikkonen's management were extremely unhappy with that, saying that the Ferrari money was additional monies and that it should not be considered part of his yearly wage.
McLaren has since agreed to a deal with 2009 F1 champion, Jensen Button, rumoured to be around $6 million, although they have yet to sign him as a driver.
Although other team's were interested in signing Raikkonen, including former F1 team Toyota, Raikkonen was stalling over money until he could find out what was happening with the McLaren deal.
News that Mercedes buying out Brawn GP and pushing Button towards McLaren has forced Raikkonen to finally reveal his 2010 plans.
Many people are unhappy with the news, and feel that F1will be less of a spectacle without the Iceman—who was widely regarded as the fastest man on the grid when he was on form.
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