F1: FERRARI CHIEF THANKS OUTDOING DRIVER RAIKKONEN
F1: FERRARI CHIEF THANKS OUTDOING DRIVER RAIKKONEN
(ANSA) - Rome, October 29 - Ferrari chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo on Thursday publicly thanked Kimi Raikkonen for the three years he has driven for the Scuderia and which saw the Finn win the 2007 Formula One world championship in his first season.
Speaking ahead of this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the last race of the season and Raikkonen's last with Ferrari, Montezemolo said ''Kimi entered the history of the Scuderia winning the world title in his first year and contributed decisively to Ferrari's conquest of the constructors championships in 2007 and 2008''.
''He has always been an honest lad, transparent and loyal and we will always remember him with joy. I'm glad that I can be here with him and the team for his last race in this particularly difficult year. Let's hope we can get a good result,'' the Ferrari chairman added.
Raikkonen, 30, last month agreed to end his contract with Ferrari a year ahead of time in order to allow for the arrival of two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.
At the time, the Finn issued a statement in which he said he was ''very sad to be leaving a team with which I have spent three fantastic years, during which time I won plenty of races''.
''Together, we have won 50% of the world titles in that period and I managed to take the drivers' title in 2007, thus achieving the target I had set myself at the start of my career,'' he added.
''I have always felt at home with everyone here and I will have many happy memories of my time with the team,'' Raikkonen said.
The outgoing Ferrari driver has not indicated which team he will join next season but many expect him to return to his old team McLaren, although Williams and new world champions BrawnGP are also said to be interested in Raikkonen.
With one race left in the season Ferrari is one point behind third-placed McLaren in the constructors standings while Raikkonen is a point from fifth-place McLaren driver and outgoing world champion Lewis Hamilton.
The season's last race will for the first time be held at the new Yas Marina circuit, which is not far from the future Abu Dhabi Ferrari World theme park.
The over 200,000-square-meter park will host more than 20 attractions, including the world's fastest rollercoaster on which passengers will experience almost the same forces as in a F1 single-seater at speeds of over 200kmh and G-forces of up to 4.9G.
The theme park is being built under license from Ferrari by Aldar Properties PJSC. Its roof is shaped like the chassis of a Ferrari street model and on top is the biggest Ferrari Prancing Horse logo in the world.
