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ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Kimi Raikkonen says he has not been paid any of his salary by Lotus in 2013 and has threatened to skip the final two races of the 2013 season in protest.
Speaking after Friday's second practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the 2007 World F1 champion said he had to be persuaded to race here and added that he is still upset about a tense exchange with a member of the technical staff at last weekend's Indian GP.
TENSION IN THE TEAM
Raikkonen's comments came just hours after Lotus chairman Gerard Lopez has played down the rift between Raikkonen and trackside operations director Alan Permane last Sunday. In blunt terms, Raikkonen was told over the race radio by Permane not to hold up team mate Romain Grosjean.
Raikkonen said: "It is a part of it. It is true those things should not happen but they have happened. That is not really the issue. It is all the other stuff, and all the things come together in the end. Like I said, it is easy to say that is the reason but it is not that."
Raikkonen is believed to be owed more than the equivalent of R206-million by the team. He said when he met reporters at the end of Friday's practice: "I came here only because hopefully we found an understanding on the certain issues we have been having. Hopefully it will be fixed and we can finish the season as well as we can."
When asked if he would contemplate not taking part in the final races in the United States and in Brazil, he said: "For sure. I enjoy racing, I enjoy driving - but a big part of it is business.
"Sometimes when that is not dealt with like it should, we end up in an unfortunate situation. You have to put the line somewhere, and if it goes over that... it is not really my fault anymore."
"Sometimes it is not very nice when you hear that you are not really a team player, and you don't have the interests of the team (at heart) - but you have been paid zero Euro the whole year," he added.
"It doesn't put you in the best place, but that is how it goes and hopefully, like I said, we found an understanding on both sides on how we should deal with the situation right now and fix the issues, and try to finish as well as we can."
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2013 Abu Dhabi weekend.
Speaking after Friday's second practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the 2007 World F1 champion said he had to be persuaded to race here and added that he is still upset about a tense exchange with a member of the technical staff at last weekend's Indian GP.
TENSION IN THE TEAM
Raikkonen's comments came just hours after Lotus chairman Gerard Lopez has played down the rift between Raikkonen and trackside operations director Alan Permane last Sunday. In blunt terms, Raikkonen was told over the race radio by Permane not to hold up team mate Romain Grosjean.
Raikkonen said: "It is a part of it. It is true those things should not happen but they have happened. That is not really the issue. It is all the other stuff, and all the things come together in the end. Like I said, it is easy to say that is the reason but it is not that."
Raikkonen is believed to be owed more than the equivalent of R206-million by the team. He said when he met reporters at the end of Friday's practice: "I came here only because hopefully we found an understanding on the certain issues we have been having. Hopefully it will be fixed and we can finish the season as well as we can."
When asked if he would contemplate not taking part in the final races in the United States and in Brazil, he said: "For sure. I enjoy racing, I enjoy driving - but a big part of it is business.
"Sometimes when that is not dealt with like it should, we end up in an unfortunate situation. You have to put the line somewhere, and if it goes over that... it is not really my fault anymore."
"Sometimes it is not very nice when you hear that you are not really a team player, and you don't have the interests of the team (at heart) - but you have been paid zero Euro the whole year," he added.
"It doesn't put you in the best place, but that is how it goes and hopefully, like I said, we found an understanding on both sides on how we should deal with the situation right now and fix the issues, and try to finish as well as we can."
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2013 Abu Dhabi weekend.