Vaccinated Raikkonen left Zandvoort to go home with covid conta-mination

Raikkonen shot down 'F1 team advisor' rumours for next year
6 September 2021 by    1 min read
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Sep.6 - Kimi Raikkonen received permission to break hotel isolation and return home after testing positive to covid and sitting out the Dutch F1 GP.

According to Swiss broadcaster SRF, the retiring Alfa Romeo driver was fully vaccinated with Pfizer in March and April.

"I received the first dose in Bahrain, otherwise I would have got the vaccination sometime in Switzerland or Finland," Raikkonen, 41, is quoted as saying.

"We travel so much that we can protect people."

However, the 2007 world champion nonetheless tested positive, but reported feeling well at Zandvoort.

As the chequered flag flew on Sunday, with Robert Kubica crossing the line 15th in the Finn's car, Raikkonen received permission from Dutch and Swiss authorities to fly home on a private plane.

He now needs to test negative to covid twice before getting the green light to return to his cockpit at Monza.

On the way back to his villa in Switzerland, he may consider Alfa Romeo team boss Frederic Vasseur's offer of an ongoing non-racing role for the Swiss team next year.

"I think it's good for him to calm down now and think," he told Iltalehti newspaper. "We can then discuss the matter further."

It is strongly rumoured that Vasseur will replace the retiring Raikkonen next year with another Finn - the likely Mercedes refugee Valtteri Bottas.

"We do not choose drivers according to nationality," Vasseur laughed when asked about the Bottas rumours.

"I hope we can get things resolved quickly. I don't know if it will happen before the race in Monza or the one in Sochi," he said.

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8 F1 Fan comments on “Vaccinated Raikkonen left Zandvoort to go home with covid conta-mination”

    • Linda

      I am in full agreement. When it was announced that Kimi had tested positive for Covid, my first thought was that we won't be seeing him back. I remember him sticking his Lotus in the wall, on the first lap of the race, he got out & rode off into the sunset. It was so obviously staged that it was laughable. Probably because someone on the pit wall at Lotus had told him 2 weeks previously, to "Move the f over for Grosjean." Kimi's reply, " Don't you talk to me like that....." So putting it in the barrier was his answer to Lotus. I suspect that he didn't want to keep explaining his reasons for retiring, every time someone put a microphone in his face

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  2. shroppyfly

    Kimi sat out the last 2 races of that year with a bad back........apparently, meanwhile good for VB and GR-George this is James, Lewis is faster than you, Lewis is faster than you , please confirm, hed better start practising those words lol

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    • ReallyOldRacer

      Thx. Re: "Frederic Vasseur's offer of an ongoing non-racing role for the Swiss team next year." Kimi, "Yeah right. Freddie, I'll come in and sweep up & have ice cream with the boys if I can bring the kids."

      • shroppyfly

        “He has been the best team-mate I’ve had the pleasure of working with.

        “Your speed and resilience has been impressive, but where you truly stand out to me is the human being you are and gentleman.

        “You are greater than you know, and I know there’s a bright future ahead for you.

        “Thank you, Valtteri, for all of your support and amazing contributions to this team. You will be missed.

        “I wish you all the best for your future endeavours. Let’s finish off strong and get that 8th for the team.”

        Hamilton had recently said about Bottas: “I’ve obviously been vocal in the past about my loyalty to Valtteri and worked incredibly closely with him. I think our working relationship is better than ever.”

        Oh yeah and obv 8th title for me too woooohooo, but blondie dont put that the press release, i have to look er.. genuine and sound sincere...lol

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    • ReallyOldRacer

      Ian, you have added a slew of posts about several articles. Every one of your comments have been SPOT ON until this one. My friend, we must vax the entire world against this crappy virus We have now lost 4.5m folks worldwide and it is NOT subsiding. No more of a "infringement of liberty" than mandated polio, smallpox, measles, etc.shots. It's not politics, it's preserving life. Am I proselytizing, yep.

      Re RAI, he is apparently not ill, just contagious and quarantined That is a good thing and he can thank the vaccination.


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