JPM/Kimi and McLaren contracts.

[Mr V]

Reading this months F1Racing magazine and a piece on Kimi Raikkonen by Matt Bishop (and as MM's not about for a while, i felt safe to post it ) and came across these 3 interesting snippets.....

First, Kimi's contract....

I (Bishop) have it on good authority that attached to Kimi's two option years (2005/6) are two pretty daunting price tags - so daunting, in fact, that some commentators insist that McLaren are alreadt manoeuvring to negotiate lower prices.

Then Juan Pablo's.........

Montoya's cheif beef at Williams was that he was earning $5 million to ralfs $14 million; since my (Bishops) sources tell me that JPM's McLaren contract stipulates no more than $18 million, even in it's latter years, the fierceness of his reaction to the discovery that Kimi will be earning more than he will is easy to predict, even at this distance

So, IF it's true and McLaren are prepared a vast ammount of money extra to keep Kimi over JPM, what will be the consequences? Or would Ron be prepared to let Kimi go if the money was too much?

The other interesting piece i read (in the same article) was this.......

Again, a question by Matt Bishop (and a very good one imo)

So...why, i ask, has Ron signed Juan Pablo? Why, hasn't he done what he did for Mika - for Mika? In other words, build a team around one gem of a driver and win championship after championship with him? After all, McLaren never did replace the steadfast Coulthard with Jacques-the-lad Villeneuve, as was repeatedly mooted in the late 1990's did they? And yet, here's Ron, queering Kimi's pitch by importing a fast and feisty boat-rocker in the shape of JPM, why?

So, is there more than meets the eye? I thought that Ron was signing these two because along with Alonso, they are proberbly the future of F1, but, does Ron fear the price tag on Kimi's contract? Does he fear losing him? If he stays, will JPM go mental if Ron pays alot more for Kimi?

So many questions!

[Wrex]

A very good question.

While I still have serious doubts as to the source and accuracy of that info, JPM's entry could be seen as a bargaining tool for Kimi (which sucks really as a deal is a deal).

I think Ron has his bases covered. If Ferrari knock on Kimi's door with a mega-deal, he still has one good driver sitting in the car. If he justify Kimi's $alary, he has 2.

As for Juan and his reaction to Kimi's salary, tough luck really. Just as I think Ron should stick to his deal with Kimi, Juan is stuck with his.

I just hope the car is'nt a lemon and these 2 talents are stuck on the 3rd row of the grid.

[Gt_R]

Assuming the sources are correct.

I would be surprised really if Kimi's options are beyond Mclaren's ability to pay. Afterall, when Kimi first signed for Mclaren, it is Mclaren who held the upper hand over an unproven youngster.

It's real tricky to balance JPM in a team together with a direct rival in Kimi. The key is, if there is indeed any wage differences, we can only hope JPM had curb his "jealousy" and mature by then. The pay and the suspicious that Williams are biased against him are reasons for switching, and if anything, it doesn't look like it would be much difference over at Mclaren. Ron's a softspot for Finns after Mika, and the whole team has warmed up to love Kimi before JPM come...so it's really a game JPM needs to play wise.

i doubt Mclaren had the intentions of replacing JPM with Kimi as they are slightly short-changed...hence they would strive to keep Kimi as far as possible. However, in any case they couldn't, they had a backup quick racer to plug the gap.

[Led ZeppF1]

Anobody had read this week Autosport?

A just wonder about the cover banner: Raikonnen 1, Montoya 0.

What its mean? Prediction for the result of JPM/KR fight?

[Gt_R]

Pardon my blabbering..i meant to say "i doubt Mclaren had the intentions of replacing KIMI with JPM as they would then be slightly short-changed in terms of overall driver quality..."

[Super Tourer]

I think Matt Bishop is possibly reading too much into this. Of all the F1 teams, McLaren have never been afraid to run two WDC contenders in the same car - Prost/Lauda and Prost/Senna.

Let's look at the bigger picture.

MS will retire at the latest in 2006, the recent re-siging of RB on a longer contract intimates that it may be well before that, even the end of 2004.

McLaren will then own 2 out of the 3 most highly rated drivers contracts in F1, with Alonso the other.

There are currently no clear candidates to add to the above. The jury is still out on Button and MW hasn't really been tested yet.

Lets move on to 2005 and assume (for a second) that MS has retired. The top teams line up could be:

Ferrari
RB - a warmish property
GF/FM - unproven

Williams
RS - blows hot and cold, warmish property
JB/MW - unproven.

Renault
FA - why would they release him to Ferrari, to then have him has competition. (in the short term at least)
DC - not much of an improvement on Trulli
FM - unproven
JV - outside possibility

McLaren
Kimi !!!! Red hot property
JPM !!!! Ditto

Who would you put your money on for a period of domination and successive WDC crowns?

[Mattracer]

Originally posted by Led ZeppF1
Anobody had read this week Autosport?

A just wonder about the cover banner: Raikonnen 1, Montoya 0.

What its mean? Prediction for the result of JPM/KR fight?

JPM still gets less money perhaps?

[Teretonga]

If I was Ferrari and had RB on my books and needed another driver to takes Michaels place at the end of 2004 I'd be going for Kimi (Coming out of initial contract), Webber or Alonso, maybe Massa if he has a Mega season in 2004. For all the talk about Fisi he isn't consistent enough to take the top slot. If he has a mega season in 2004 and trounces Massa, well maybe I'd have a shootout between Fisi and Webber but MW has already played that game and last time won, so I wouldn't expect him to lose second time around with so much at stake. he'll want a driver of top notch ability to work with in the future. Webber has the testing ability and is quick, quicker than Fisi at Benetton, Kimi has sheer speed and TGF rates him. Alonso is very good but the assumption is that he'd choose Ferrari over Renault and I don't know that he would. Renault would not be keen to see him go to ferrari either. That whole idea swings on the notion that Briatore would put him in at ferrari for a Mega salary but that sort of money may not be on offer until he further proves himself and that will depend on 2004 results. A mega season might see it happen but then Renault would be more determined to hang onto him.
If TGF leaves at the end of 2004 and Brawn has extended his contract

[Redblurr]

A 'high-level source' at McLaren revealed to Autosport magazine that Kimi Raikkonen has been told that he will be the one to partner Juan Pablo Montoya in 2005 - from planetf1 - no surprise really is it

[ljakse]

IMHO, Juan Pablo wasn't unhappy just 'coz he was less paid than Ralf. What really him off was that he was faster than Ralf and still was three times less paid!
Even in their first year together, although Ralf eventually scored more points, Juan was somehow considered better (faster).
So, I believe Juan will first want to prove that he is better than Kimi, and than start wining. And even that I find quite unlikely - for some strange reason I believe Juan is one of rare drivers in F1 who is dirving for fun, not just for money, and his "greed" wakes up only when he thinks someone is taking advantage on him.

[Mattracer]

I don't know if any of them are driving for money. But I do agree, JPM gets less than he should and after all, he should get at least what Ralf gets and probably more, he finished higher than Ralf on points in '03.

[Mr V]

Just curious, what do you mean by this? ........

Originally posted by Teretonga
well maybe I'd have a shootout between Fisi and Webber but MW has already played that game and last time won, so I wouldn't expect him to lose second time around with so much at stake.

[Tiptop]

Mr V I was wondering the same thing ? are you (Teretonga) implying that MW has beaten GF in the past ?

Not something that I can remember ?

Please explain