C/p from
thejudge13Red Bull #2 driver
Further gossip and rumour. The word at Red Bull is that Ricciardo – barring disaster – will get the Vacant seat left by Mark Webber and that this will be announced in Spa. Johnny Herbert appears to believe he has a source who is suggesting it will be Kimi. Yet TJ13 believes the team think Kimi too much of a maverick, and Red Bull will follow the Ferrari model and now admit to having an outright number 1 driver in Vettel.
Kimi had problems during his 2002-06 tenure at McLaren and his biggest problem was Ron Dennis. Dennis wanted to change him the same way he changed Mika, but it Kimi resisted. When allowed Kimi would arrive at the F1 destination, drives the car and then goe home. Speculation was high when Dennis retired from his day-to-day F1 duties that Kimi would return, but Ron still held a veto on who drives for McLaren and who does not and there was no way Kimi was to be allowed a second chance.
Raikkonen similarly had problems with the hierarchy during his time at Ferrari. He had signed an extension to drive with the team until 2010 as reported by FOM, “Ferrari have announced an extension to Kimi Raikkonen’s contract for a further two seasons, keeping the world champion with the Italian team until the end of 2010. With Raikkonen’s team mate Felipe Massa also under contract for that period, it means Ferrari’s race line-up will remain unchanged until at least the start of their 2011 campaign”.
Yet by the end of 2009, Kimi was mysteriously gone and Fernando had been recruited. Kimi said to the BBC at the time, “I am very sad to be leaving a team with whom I have spent three fantastic years. I have always felt at home with everyone here, and I will have many happy memories of my time with the team.” Clearly someone in the team felt otherwise.
It’s a shame Kimi is not going to Red Bull because it would be interesting to see how Vettel measures up to another world-class driver. Of course other comparisons also become possible as following Hamilton’s move to Mercedes, many Schumacher critics now admit his second career looks rather better now than he was given credit for when driving against Rosberg. Kimi verses Vettel could also vindicate Webber similarly from those who think he is a choker.
I’m fairly sure this is no Samurai wisdom, but it may be some consolation to Kimi that at times it’s better ‘to be a big fish in a small pond’.
My thoughts.
I was guessing they would go with Ricciardo. Because why have a young drivers program if you don't use it. Also, as much as I dislike it. To win titles (WDC and WCC) in F1 these days a team really does need a defined #1 and # 2 driver.