Raikkonen doubts Liberty plans will impact his time in F1

Kimi Raikkonen says he knows “very little” about Liberty Media’s future plans for Formula 1 and feels he won’t see any direct changes during his time in the sport.

With the F1 commercial rights holders set to present its new ideas and future direction from 2021 onwards during the Bahrain race weekend, the drivers are being quizzed on what changes they expect and would like to see happen to shake up the sport.

Raikkonen, who made his F1 debut back in 2001 alongside fellow rookie Fernando Alonso, feels with any key changes only being allowed by 2021 at the earliest – due the current Concorde Agreement expiring at the end of the 2020 season – the 38-year-old feels he’s unlikely to be hit by any big adjustments to central issues such as technical regulations or rules.

“In the end it’s not our decision, it’s up to them [Liberty], it’s their business,” Raikkonen said. “They make their plans and take the decisions they feel are the correct ones, but I don’t know what they’re doing.

“I know very little about it and I’m not interested so we’ll see tomorrow what they say. It’s for many years from now and I doubt I’ll be here when it comes.”

Raikkonen, who is gearing up for his 273^rd F1 race start this weekend in Bahrain, is fifth on the all-time F1 list for total starts only behind Alonso (292), Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher (both 306) and Rubens Barrichello (322).

Last year the 2007 F1 world champion signed a new one-year deal to stay with Ferrari for the 2018 season but his future beyond the current campaign remains in doubt.