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Brawn: "Raikkonen Is Too Expensive!"

After Toyota, Brawn GP also admitted that signing Kimi Raikkonen is not an option for the 2010 Formula One championship. And it's not that the former F1 champion doesn't have what it takes to make a great impact at Brackley, but because the Finn is demanding too much money for a single season with Brawn.

Although they have won the title this year – both constructors' and drivers' – Brawn are one of the teams looking for sponsorship for their 2010 operations. Their only chance of escaping that situation was a potential 75 percent buyout from German manufacturer Mercedes Benz, which was confirmed it won't happen until the end of 2011.

Under the circumstances, Brawn's main interest now seems to be finding the necessary money to secure the staying of champion Jenson Button at Brackley, not the bringing of the former Ferrari-an.

Too expensive. His management is negotiating as if the compensation of Ferrari doesn't exist,” said Brawn, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, when asked how he feels about the possibility of offering Raikkonen a deal with his team.

The Finn agreed to walk away from Ferrari and allow Fernando Alonso to join the Scuderia in his place in exchange of a considerable amount of money from the prancing horse. His deal was to expire at the end of next year, but it is believed he was offered the entire salary for 2010 in order to leave Maranello now.

Prior to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Raikkonen admitted that he would only stay in Formula One if offered a seat with McLaren Mercedes. Otherwise, taking a year off is also a very likely possibility, as confirmed by the 2007 F1 champion.

“I have options and I still want to be here (in F1), but everything needs to be perfect. I have no reason to make any contract that I don't feel 100 per cent happy with
,” insisted Raikkonen during the course of last weekend.
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