Kimi Raikkonen not key to F1 2014 driver market - Nico Hulkenberg
Kimi Raikkonen is not the key to the driver market, reckons Nico Hulkenberg, who believes he can secure his Formula 1 future without waiting to see where the 2007 world champion ends up
While Raikkonen is at the centre of 2014 driver move speculation - even if, as AUTOSPORT revealed on Wednesday, staying put at Lotus is his favoured option - the highly-rated Hulkenberg is one of the hottest properties available.
Currently at Sauber, Hulkenberg has been linked to both Ferrari and Lotus and has not ruled out staying with his current team.
Asked by AUTOSPORT if he was having to wait for Raikkonen before he could make progress on a 2014 deal, Hulkenberg replied: "Not necessarily.
"Obviously Kimi is playing a role there but it is not necessarily depending all on him."
Hulkenberg acknowledged that Ferrari would be an extremely attractive option if it chose to drop Felipe Massa.
"It's a good team, one of the top teams, and if you get the chance you will probably do it," said the German.
"But at this point we are still looking at the options for what we can do, where to position ourselves."
He said his preference was to resolve his situation within the next month.
"There is always what you want and what is happening and they are sometimes not the same," Hulkenberg said.
"I want to make a decision when I feel I have made the right choice and when I am happy with everything involving the deal.
"We would ideally like to have it done by the end of September."
Unwell Kimi Raikkonen absent on Thursday of F1 Belgian GP
Belgian GP: Castrol EDGE Grand Prix Predictor players back Vettel
The “solemn promise” that cost quiet hero Brooks an F1 title
After two terrifying crashes, one of the best British racers of the 1950s retired before his career peaked. But that’s why GP Racing’s MAURICE HAMILTON was able to speak to Tony Brooks in 2014. Like his friend Stirling Moss, Brooks was regarded as one of the best drivers never to have won the world championship. Here, as our tribute to Brooks who died last month, is that interview in full
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...
The breakthrough behind Sainz’s best weekend of F1 2022 so far
OPINION: Carlos Sainz came close to winning in Monaco but needed that race’s specific circumstances for his shot at a maiden Formula 1 victory to appear. Last weekend in Canada, he led the line for Ferrari in Charles Leclerc’s absence from the front. And there’s a key reason why Sainz has turned his 2022 form around
Canadian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
Plenty of high scores but just a single perfect 10 from the first Montreal race in three years, as Max Verstappen fended off late pressure from Carlos Sainz. Here’s Autosport’s assessment on the Formula 1 drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix