Beyond the Flag
Fansided

Formula 1: Kimi Raikkonen calls Alfa Romeo contract worthless

By Asher Fair

HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY - JULY 26: Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Alfa Romeo Racing walks in the Paddock after practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Germany at Hockenheimring on July 26, 2019 in Hockenheim, Germany. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY - JULY 26: Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Alfa Romeo Racing walks in the Paddock after practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Germany at Hockenheimring on July 26, 2019 in Hockenheim, Germany. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Kimi Raikkonen confirmed that he has not bothered to read his Formula 1 contract that he signed with Alfa Romeo Racing ahead of the 2019 season because it is “worth zero”.

Toward the end of the 2018 Formula 1 season in what was effectively a driver swap, although it technically wasn’t because of a complex situation involving Sauber’s Ferrari ties, Scuderia Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen was confirmed at Sauber for the 2019 season while Sauber rookie Charles Leclerc was confirmed at Ferrari.

Sauber were officially named Alfa Romeo Sauber last year. Ahead of the 2019 season, they dropped Sauber from their name completely. They are now simply referred to as Alfa Romeo Racing.

Nearly one year after signing a two-year contract with Alfa Romeo Racing, Raikkonen has confirmed that he has not bothered to even read his contract.

To the oldest driver currently competing in Formula 1, his contract is worthless.

Here is what 39-year-old Finn had to say about the matter, according to F1i.

"“I haven’t read my contract because it’s worth zero as far as I’m concerned. When we first talked to Alfa Romeo-Sauber, I told them that if they complain about anything – if they whine – then I’m not here anymore! There are many dangerous things in life. Of course, one always tries to be careful. But it’s enough to talk about the problem if it happened.”"

Raikkonen’s claim is meant to illustrate that he will not let the team interfere in his private life. In many cases, teams insert clauses in the contracts of their drivers that prohibit them from participating in various dangerous activities outside of Formula 1.

But not in Raikkonen’s contract.

More from Formula One

Raikkonen’s contract with the team runs through the end of the 2020 season, and despite his claims that it is “worth zero”, he is not expected to get out of it and either sign with another team or retire before then. He has competed in 303 races throughout his career, which is 19 races shy of tying Rubens Barrichello’s record. While he couldn’t care less, Raikkonen is slated to break this record next year.

Through the first 12 races of the 21-race season, Raikkonen sits in eighth place in the driver standings with eight top 10 finishes. He has accounted for eight of Alfa Romeo Racing’s nine top 10 finishes, and he has scored 31 of the team’s 32 points. Rookie teammate Antonio Giovinazzi has scored a single point on a single 10th place finish in the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.

Raikkonen and Giovinazzi were stripped of seventh and eighth place finishes, respectively, in the German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring after they were each issued 30-second penalties following the conclusion of the race as a result of a breach of Article 27.1, which pertains to clutch torque application during race starts.

Next. Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of all-time. dark

Kimi Raikkonen and the rest of the Formula 1 field are not scheduled to get back into action for another few weeks, as they are in the midst of the 2019 summer break. The next race on the schedule is the Belgian Grand Prix, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 1. This race is set to be broadcast live on ESPN2 beginning at 9:05 p.m. ET from Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium.

Home/Formula One