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This just in at grandprix.com:

Marco Mattiacci has hit back at suggestions Ferrari could or should plan its revival for the 2015 season without Kimi Raikkonen.

Lamenting the Maranello team's slip behind Williams for third in the constructors' chase, Fernando Alonso said at Hockenheim that Ferrari has "only been able to count on one car again and we have to improve on that".

It might be concluded that Spaniard Alonso wants a more competitive teammate for 2015, but new Ferrari boss Mattiacci has moved swiftly to end those sorts of rumours.

When told by the Spanish sports daily Marca that the mid-season scorecard between Alonso and Raikkonen reads "10:0", Mattiacci insisted: "This is not football.

"In F1 we don't speak in those terms.

"Yes, I want better results, but Kimi is the driver that Ferrari needs for next year."

I don't think Williams could afford to pay Alonso what he would want. Even if they could Frank is notoriously tight fisted and I'm sure his daughter shares that trait.

Not sure Alonso would fit in anyway....

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5String43 (Post 8176033)

OK, maybe it isn't 10:0. But it is 97:19

Ferrari is in 4th place in the constructor's championship.
Alonso has scored 97 points, kimi has scored 19.

If Kimi had scored as many points as his teammate YTD, Ferrari would be in 2nd place.
The need to improve the car but they also need two drivers who can score.

One thing we haven't discussed is Kimi's health. he had serious back problems last year, maybe he's still dinged up and that's slowing him down?
Dunno.

Here's a related op/ed piece from plant F1 I just found:

Quote:

Time For Ferrari To Cut Their Kimi Losses
Friday 11th July 2014

There appears to be a sense of déjà vu for Ferrari and their fans since the return of Kimi Raikkonen, and with the Finn already looking like he has one foot out of the door, perhaps it's once again time for the team to cut their losses early.

One of the best drivers in F1? Check. Unable to match his team-mate? Check. Appearing to be losing interest? Check. All but certain to be moving on? Check.

The 2007 World Champion is once again displaying the signs of someone who would rather not be in F1.

Sure the F14T is not up to scratch to challenge for the title, sure the car is perhaps more suited to Fernando Alonso as he helped to develop it and sure next year's car is likely to fit his style a bit better.

Raikkonen, though, has form for not having his head in the game when the going gets tough. There were plenty of denials from his camp during the 2009 season that he didn't really lose interest, but it will be remembered that he appeared to be in the same boat during the final few months of his Lotus stint.

Having signed a contract for 2014 with Ferrari, his form took a dip with his Enstone team-mate Romain Grosjean outshining him. Heck, he even arrived late for the Abu Dhabi GP. Of course there were mitigating circumstances like not getting paid, but once bitten, twice shy.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has never been shy of making the big decisions as he proved in 2009 when he got rid of the Finn to bring in Fernando Alonso to partner Felipe Massa.

Raikkonen has already admitted he will "probably stop" once his contract with Ferrari runs out after the 2015 season, but perhaps the time has once come again for di Montezemolo to pull the plug early.

And perhaps now is the time for Ferrari to look long-term with Jules Bianchi. The Frenchman has done all he can at Marussia to prove he deserves a shot at a bigger team. One as big as Ferrari? Not everyone can handle the pressure at such a legendary stable at a young age, but he has earned his stripes as a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and won't be coming in from the cold.

With Raikkonen out of the door after 2015, they will need a replacement and two-time World Champion Alonso will be 36 by the time his current deal runs out in 2016. Why not bed in a youngster for two seasons with a world-class driver like Alonso. Let him learn from one of the best on the grid and by the time the Spaniard leaves he will have had two years in the seat. Perhaps then they can go hunting for the signature of another big name in F1 like Sebastian Vettel.

McLaren and Red Bull have proved in recent years with Lewis Hamilton, Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo that's it's not always a bad thing to bring in a "kid" that you have nurtured. They are the ones who know they have to prove themselves and by doing so they often push their more illustrious team-mates to better things.

Shahida Jacobs

Time For Ferrari To Cut Their Kimi Losses | Planet F1 | Formula One | Features | Editorial

Quote:

Originally Posted by sammyg2 (Post 8174499)

Ferrari needs to tell Kimi to take a hike and replace him with de La Rosa or Bianchi during the summer break. Preferably De La Rosa.

Kimi really sux this year, most likely because he's being compared to Alonso which would make almost any driver look worse.
but Kimi is acting like he's already given up.
That is why he needs to go on his merry way.

Doesn't matter who you put along Alonso, Alonso will create subterfuge to undermine them if he thinks he'll get unseated as #1.

Look what he did to ruin Hamilton's qualifying by parking at the garage exit so hamilton couldn't get a good run.

Alonso's teammate even further back in Renault stuffed it into a wall to bring a out a pre planned safety car on a specific lap to get Alonso a win.

Ferrari runs an innane tire stratedgy on Alonso's teammate to gather data. They've been doing it ever since Alonso came to the team. Pay attention, you'll see.

Mysteriosully, when Alonso DNF's, Massa could get on the podium, as suddenly Massa got the premier strategy.

Kimi gets on the radio with a tire problem, needs to pit, Alonso pits that lap blocking Kimi from coming in, making Kimi go a full lap with a tire problem....Blame Kimi?

This thread was fun to look at 4 years on...

Name one other driver as good as Kimi who would so willingly act as a foil for that prima donna named Vettel. If Ferrari let them race Vettel's results would suffer big time.

Completely agree with you on Alonso.

Maybe Kimi i pining for the Finish rally woods. Tired of all the bling and fashionable internationalism of F1. Too much talk and flash.

Pining for the fjords?
since this thread was started, Kimi has made me a fan again and also made me yell at him through the TV.
times when he flashes of brilliance, times when he caries Vettel's shoes. Last year was tough.
But he is doing much better this year than he did in 2014.

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