I have always felt at home with everyone here and I will have many happy memories of my time with the team." 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. "I am very sad to be leaving a team with which I have spent three fantastic years, during which time I won plenty of races. In Ferrari's official press release confirming his departure, Raikkonen struck a somewhat sombre tone and made clear he had enjoyed his three seasons at Maranello: for 2010 rather than 2011 - at the expense of Raikkonen grew to the point where it became an open secret and the news was finally made official on September 30 2009.ĭespite being sidelined from racing at the time owing to the fractured skull he suffered some two months before in a frightening accident at the Hungarian GP, Massa was retained in the other seat with Ferrari confident he would make a full recovery.Īs part of the settlement agreement negotiated between his management and Ferrari, Raikkonen - having been on what was believed to be one of the highest retainers in sports history - was paid a reputed £20 million not to see out the final year of his contract in 2010. Speculation that Ferrari were planning to bring Alonso's arrival forward by 12 months - i.e.
The problem for Ferrari was that they already had both of their existing drivers under contract until the end of 2010 - Felipe Massa having extended his deal to that point in 2007 and Raikkonen in turn a year later. Crucially, however, that agreement was also said to include the possibility for Alonso's arrival to be brought forward a year if certain conditions were met.
The first serious suggestions that Alonso - then at Renault - had agreed to join Ferrari for 2011 had first emerged in the Italian media as early as 2008.
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