Formula 1 roundup: The once and future Kimi Raikkonen

This week in quotes

* Lotus team principal Eric Boullier expressed his determination to hang on to star driver Kimi Raikkonen, who is also being wooed by Red Bull to replace Mark Webber beginning with the 2014 season. Boullier stated that his team\'s fighting performance and laid-back (rather than corporate) approach will likely convince the Finn to stay. \"I think he likes the team and the people on the team; he is comfortable with them,\" he said. \"Sometimes you have a good car at the start of the season, but the question is, will you be able to keep up that level--and Kimi can see that we can do it. With much less resources than Red Bull, we still can develop the car and compete at the same level.\"

* Boullier also announced that Raikkonen will participate in the Young Driver Test at Silverstone Circuit this week. He won\'t be there as an up-and-comer, of course; rather, he will be evaluating the revised-spec Pirellis within the testing parameters specified by the FIA. As for rookies, Lotus will be run by Davide Valsecchi and Nicolas Prost--yes, the son of four-time champion Alain Prost. \"It\'s great timing for us to have this season\'s Young Driver Test scheduled in the middle of the year as it allows us to evaluate more of the new parts we have for the E21 as the championship battle intensifies,\" Boullier pointed out. \"By running Nicolas and Davide, we are giving them both invaluable experience and also gaining great feedback, as we\'ve previously seen what they can do in the car and appreciate the valuable information they give us. It\'s also a fabulous second opportunity for all Formula 1 fans to come and see the teams in action at Silverstone.\"

* After team principal Monisha Kaltenborn confirmed that Sauber is indeed going through financial difficulties, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone admitted that it is not possible for him to throw a monetary lifeline to the Swiss team: \"We have agreements that require us to treat all the teams equally. They\'re a good team and I\'m sure there is more than one possible buyer. I don\'t want to imagine F1 without Sauber.\" Save for a four-year period (2006 to 2009) when it was BMW-owned, Sauber has been competing in F1 since 1993 as a privateer squad and has enjoyed associations with Mercedes, Red Bull, Petronas and Ferrari. Current drivers who\'ve had stints at Sauber (or BMW Sauber) are Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel. Well-known former drivers include JJ Lehto, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jean Alesi, Jacques Villeneuve, Robert Kubica and Kamui Kobayashi.

 

This week in numbers

* Article 23.11: The first of two 2014 F1 regulations that have been fast-tracked for immediate implementation, following a pit-lane incident that injured a cameraman during the German GP. It reads: \"Team personnel are only allowed in the pit lane immediately before they are required to work on a car and must withdraw as soon as the work is complete. All team personnel carrying out any work on a car during a race pit stop must be wearing head protection.\" Also, media with pit-lane access will be confined to the pit wall.

* Article 30.12: The second of the 2014 regulations that will be implemented \"in time for the next 2013 round.\" It reads: \"A speed limit of 80kph will be imposed in the pit lane during the whole event. However, this limit may be amended by the stewards following a recommendation from the FIA F1 safety delegate. Any team whose driver exceeds the limit during any practice session will be fined 100 euros for each kph above the limit, up to a maximum of 1,000 euros.\" An additional penalty may also be inflicted if the stewards \"suspect a driver was speeding in order to gain any sort of advantage.\"

 

This week in tweets

* Got my first mini triathlon this Sunday at @JensonButton trust triathlon. Preparation starts tomorrow, few days to gain some strength. ;-)
- We don\'t know how much stronger or fitter Paul di Resta (@pauldirestaf1) can still hope to be, but whatever makes him happy, right?

* Currently sat on a jet plane in Nice checking out the sunrise with @jessybondgirl. Things couldn\'t be better ;)
- We only have two words for Jenson Button (@JensonButton): lucky bastard

* Proof that #Kimi\'s 2014 negotiations are underway... #SaveMiniKimi #Raikkonen #F1
- The Lotus F1 Team (@Lotus_F1Team) came up with a whole mini production to pledge undying love for Kimi. Guys, we\'re not so sure about the dinosaur...

Photos from Lotus F1 Team