Raikkonen could walk away from Lotus before season’s end

Kimi Raikkonen has said that he could leave Lotus before the end of the season unless he receives some of the money that he is owed by the team.

The on-going feud between Raikkonen and Lotus over payment has been well documented, with the team insisting that the situation is completely normal as this is how they manage their cash flow. However, Raikkonen, who will leave the team at the end of the year in favor of a move back to Ferrari, is losing patience and could leave early as a result. He also revealed that he very nearly didn’t come to the race in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

“I came here only because we found an understanding on the certain issues we have been having,” he explained to journalists on Friday. “Hopefully it will be fixed and we can finish the season as well as we can.

“I enjoy racing, I enjoy driving, but a big part of it is business. Sometimes, when that is not dealt with like it should be, we end up in an unfortunate situation. You have to put the line in somewhere.”

The breakdown in the relationship between Raikkonen and the team was evident in Korea when trackside operations director Alan Permane swore at the Finn and told him to move aside for the quicker Romain Grosjean. Raikkonen, known for his dislike of communication over the radio, swore back and told them to leave him alone. Eventually, Grosjean did pass his teammate and went on to finish in third place.

Therefore, Raikkonen may not be racing at the Circuit of the Americas later this month when Formula One makes its annual visit to the United States. Should this be the case, it is likely that third driver Davide Valsecchi would step up to his seat for the final two rounds of the season.

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