“So far I have not talked too much about what I will do next, as I still have time to make my decision and I will let you know when I have. For the moment, I haven't decided what I want to do next, whether I want to continue racing or not,” said the 2007 Formula One champion ahead of this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.
However he made it very clear that he'll only stay in Formula One if he'll be given the chance to drive a title winning car. Signing for a new team is out of the question for Raikkonen, who also admitted rallying may prove a viable option for 2010.
“If I do decide to stay in Formula 1, I wouldn't go to any of the small teams, where I would not have the chance to fight for the championship. If I race next year, that would be my goal, otherwise there is no reason to be in Formula 1. I achieved what I wanted, but if I race, then of course, I want to win more races and championship titles,” added the Finnish driver.
Raikkonen said that he didn't expect Ferrari to oust him for 2010, as his contract with the Scuderia was to expire at the end of next season. However, he was pleased with his decision to agree to the split, as he parted ways with Ferrari on good terms.
“I'm still happy with what I have done in making this decision and I think I will still have a good future. Usually when you make a contract, you stick with it to the end, but there were reasons why it did not work out, but I'm okay with how things have turned out.”
“I have nothing bad to say about them as we always had a good relationship. I am happy with what I have achieved, even if whenever you look back, you think you might have done things differently, but that's easy to say when you look back. But in terms of contracts and so on, I would not do anything different. With Ferrari, I have achieved what I set out to do in winning the title,” concluded Raikkonen.
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