Highlights

Motor racing-Raikkonen keeps the speculation bubbling

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-07-28 09:03

HOCKENHEIM, Germany, July 27 - Kimi Raikkonen insists he has still to decide on who to race for next season despite constant speculation about his Formula One future.

The hottest property on the driver market, the 26-year-old Finn is wanted by world champions Renault and glamour team Ferrari as well as his current employers McLaren.

"When I know exactly (where I am going) I will tell, but so far there is nothing to tell," Raikkonen told reporters on a visit to the Mercedes car museum in Stuttgart before this weekend's German Grand Prix.

"Everybody thinks that they know what I'm doing because one week I'm going to Ferrari, next week Renault and then staying here," he added.

"It's funny to read in the newspapers what everybody comes up with but I'm in a good position because I can decide."

The Finn, runner-up to Renault's Fernando Alonso last season and to Ferrari's seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher in 2003, said again that money was not the biggest factor.

"People always expect you to go where you get more money," he said. "In the end the money is important, but in those top teams where I'm looking its not going to be much different.

"You want to have a good car and then the rest of the things need to be right also."

NO QUALMS

Mercedes-powered McLaren, who have signed Alonso for 2007 but have yet to win a race this year, had not been ruled out while he would have no qualms about partnering Schumacher at Ferrari either.

Raikkonen suggested that whoever he signed for, it would be something of a gamble.

"Of course, I want to have a car that's a winning car but it's not just that. There's also many small things which might not sound a big thing for someone else but for me makes a difference in the end," he said.