Fisi drops hint about ’07 teammate
Despite invigorating speculation that either Kimi Raikkonen or Heikki Kovalainen would be steering a blue and yellow car in 2007, Fisichella said in Montreal on Thursday: ''I was joking.''
McLaren's Raikkonen, however, did little to support the theory that his future in genuinely undecided by denying that he was worried about where he would be beyond the end of the year.
He said: ''I'm happy with what's happening now and I don't really need to worry about next year or any other year.''
Although the F1 world is still tossing up between Ferrari and Renault, 26-year-old Kimi added that he is pretty sure of his '07 home.
''I think so,'' Raikkonen, insisting that the whereabouts of Michael Schumacher or Fernando Alonso were not factors, said in Montreal, ''not 100 per cent.
''I just have to wait some time to see where we're going with our team and then look at my options.''
06/14/06 (GMM) Giancarlo Fisichella has dropped a whopping hint about what Renault's 2007 driver lineup will look like.
The Roman racer, testing his blue car at Monza on Tuesday, suggested that not only will he soon be confirmed as a continuing Renault driver, but that his new teammate will be Finnish.
''Quite often Flavio (Briatore) speaks well of me,'' 33-year-old Fisichella told La Gazzetta dello Sport, ''and everyone in the team is happy with the job I am doing.''
He said in Italy: ''I really hope to stay. And who is going to replace (Fernando) Alonso next year? Surely, a Finn.''
While it is faintly possible that Fisichella is referring to Kimi Raikkonen, the 'Finn' in question is more likely to be Renault tester Heikki Kovalainen, who drove alongside the Italian on Tuesday.
Giancarlo Fisichella was quoted as saying: ''I hope for confirmation shortly.''
Fisichella also admitted to some disappointment about his championship tally this year, despite the fact that he has so far collected more points than at the same time in 2005.
''Of course, I would like to have the same amount as Alonso,'' he said, ''but I have had some problems, some little problems, especially in qualifying which is so crucial.''
Referring to Malaysia, Fisichella added: ''The only time that things went well (in qualifying) I won the race.''