Raikkonen: Future with Ferrari to be decided later in the year

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Kimi Raikkonen has said that he is not too concerned about his future with Ferrari in Formula 1, preferring to wait until later in the year before deciding whether or not to exercise the option on his contract.

The Finn rejoined Ferrari for the 2014 season on a two-year deal with an option on a third, and suggested last year that he will most probably quit F1 once he leaves Maranello.

A disappointing campaign last year has left many questioning Raikkonen’s future and motivation, but in Jerez earlier this week he said that he is not thinking about his next move at the moment.

“There is an option on my contract,” Raikkonen confirmed. “It’s up to me and the team to do a good job this year, and if it goes badly and I don’t sign it, I don’t sign it. It won’t be the end of the world.

“The aim is to do well, and there’s a big chance. If everybody is happy then I am sure we can do well.

“We’ll see what happens in the future. I don’t worry about it or think about it.”

Raikkonen has been joined at Ferrari by four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel for the 2015 season, with both drivers hoping to revive the team’s fortunes after its worst performance in 20 years in 2014.

It is likely that the Finn’s decision will be the focus of the 2015 silly season. Williams’ Valtteri Bottas has already been linked with the seat but simply said that he wants to be in the “quickest car available” for 2016.

Besides Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton is the other big name driver who is out of contract at the end of 2015, but the defending world champion appears to be keen on extending his time at Mercedes beyond this year.

Supercross: Enzo Lopes will race with ClubMX in 2024

Lopes ClubMX 2024
Feld Motor Sports/MX Sports Pro Racing/Align Media
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Coming off his best Supercross season to date, Enzo Lopes has re-signed with Muc-Off / ClubMX Yamaha and will race for the team in 2024. The deal is for Supercross only.

Enzo Lopes won his heat race in Denver and finished fourth in the Main. – Feld Motor Sports

Lopes debuted in the Supercross series in 2019 on a Suzuki and scored his first top-10 finishes in his last two starts of that season. Showing consistent improvement, he earned six top-10s in eight Main events the following year and finished fifth in the 250 East standings. In 2022, he scored his first top-five at Daytona and finished in the top five in points again.

“I am happy to be returning to ClubMX for another season,” Lopes said in a press release. “It is like family to me there and that is very important. Although I had many options, staying where I am makes the most sense for many reasons. The bikes are great, the people are great, the tracks are amazing, and I am surrounded by people that care about me. We all want to win and together we will get there.”

While he improved his season-best performance by only one position this year, it was nevertheless a breakout season. Lopes barely missed the podium three times in 2023 with fourth-place finishes at San Diego, Seattle, and Denver.

His strong performance him rumored to be speaking with factory teams.

“We could see the growth from Enzo every time he gets on the bike,” said team owner Brandon Haas. “We all knew it was just a matter of time before he would be noticed by everyone, and we are proud of him on many levels. He had some heat race wins and qualified fastest at three events this season. It would be hard not to be noticed going that fast. He had a big decision to make and we are glad he chose to stay with us at ClubMX.”

Lopes had three podium finishes in heat races this year, including a win preceding his fourth-place finish in Denver.

Lopes will join Jeremy Martin, Phil Nicoletti and Garrett Marchbanks, who announced a two-year extension with the team in January, at the ClubMX team.