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3rd
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Kimi Raikkonen has agreed to race until the end of the season, British magazine Autosport reports.
The dispute over the Finn's unpaid salary intensified going into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, to a point where the 2007 world champion threatened to sit out the remaining two races on the 2013 calendar, Austin and Sao Paulo.
F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone and former champion Jacques Villeneuve backed Raikkonen's threats.
"He has signed a contract with somebody and they need to pay him," Ecclestone told the Mirror.
"People are saying he should be doing it for the passion alone but he is a professional racing driver. It's his job," said the French Canadian.
But now it appears Raikkonen and Lotus agreed on a solution, after a whole weekend of intense negotiations in the Yas Marina paddock.
"Following more than two days of talks, (Lotus owner Gerard) Lopez and Raikkonen's manager Steve Robertson laid out a framework for moving forward that both parties are happy with," wrote Autosport journalist Jonathan Noble.
"As long as the deal is formally signed off by lawyers, and Lotus sticks to the points of the agreement laid out, then Raikkonen will compete in the final two races of the campaign."
UPDATE
As Auto123.com understands, Raikkonen agreed to race for Lotus because the team finally reached an agreement with 'Quantum', the investment group that has been trying to buy 35% of the team.
This would be good news for Nico Hulkenberg, because Lotus could only afford him if it completed the deal with Quantum.
The dispute over the Finn's unpaid salary intensified going into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, to a point where the 2007 world champion threatened to sit out the remaining two races on the 2013 calendar, Austin and Sao Paulo.
F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone and former champion Jacques Villeneuve backed Raikkonen's threats.
"He has signed a contract with somebody and they need to pay him," Ecclestone told the Mirror.
"People are saying he should be doing it for the passion alone but he is a professional racing driver. It's his job," said the French Canadian.
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| KImi Raikkonen, Lotus E21 (Photo: WRi2) |
But now it appears Raikkonen and Lotus agreed on a solution, after a whole weekend of intense negotiations in the Yas Marina paddock.
"Following more than two days of talks, (Lotus owner Gerard) Lopez and Raikkonen's manager Steve Robertson laid out a framework for moving forward that both parties are happy with," wrote Autosport journalist Jonathan Noble.
"As long as the deal is formally signed off by lawyers, and Lotus sticks to the points of the agreement laid out, then Raikkonen will compete in the final two races of the campaign."
UPDATE
As Auto123.com understands, Raikkonen agreed to race for Lotus because the team finally reached an agreement with 'Quantum', the investment group that has been trying to buy 35% of the team.
This would be good news for Nico Hulkenberg, because Lotus could only afford him if it completed the deal with Quantum.