A

s all eyes turn to the floodlit streets of Singapore for the fourth running of Formula One’s only night race, some interesting rumours from Europe have travelled the 16,000 kilometres or so to the Marina Bay street circuit paddock. One of the most interesting has been the reported sighting of 2007 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen at the Williams F1 team headquarters at Grove in Oxfordshire.

Was he just sight-seeing? Visiting old friends? Or could he have been discussing a comeback drive with the British team?

Kimi drove for Sauber, McLaren and Ferrari driver before heading, disillusioned and bored, away from Formula One to attack the special stages of the World Rally Championship with a Red Bull-backed Citroen.

Attack is most definitely the best word to use, as both the scenery and the car bodywork have regularly born the scars of ‘The Icemans’ no-holds-barred approach, even if he hasn’t seen the podium, or even the finish line too often.

Maybe Kimi is getting bored with having to pick bits of tree out of his overalls, because earlier in the summer he headed out to the United States to sample NASCAR oval racing. In typical Kimi style, he chose one of the most intimidating tracks, Charlotte Motor Speedway, at which to make his Nationwide Cup debut.

Kimi thundered around the banked oval track pretty impressively. A lap at an average of 292 kilometers per hour put his ‘Perky Jerky’ (seriously) Toyota Camry half way up the 42 car starting grid, just a second off the pace of NASCAR front-runners Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch.

Despite rubbing the concrete wall a couple of times Kimi finished his debut race 27th. However since that race in May he hasn’t been back. Perhaps the Perky Jerky dried beef didn’t agree with him.

For Williams F1, enduring the worst racing season in their 36-year history, it must have felt like quite a complement to have a former World Champion making a house call. Kimi might see a new challenge in both returning to Formula One and helping a team such as Williams regain their former glory.

Despite Kimi Raikkonen’s mono-syllabic performances in press conferences, Kimi has always been highly regarded by his race engineers. The Finn has a rare ability
to deliver quick concise and accurate information on exactly what the car is doing. And better still for the engineers, he then leaves them to work on the solutions and unlike many drivers, actually listens to their advice.

However the Finn might want to look at Michael Schumacher, whose return at Mercedes has certainly been dulled by having to struggle with an uncompetitive car. One asks how long might Kimi persevere if the team wasn’t performing. I guess that Frank Williams and Patrick Head might be mulling over that thought too.

It seems that despite their lack of results this season, there is no shortage of driver interest in the team. Veteran Rubens Barrichello, who this weekend clocks up his 317th Grand Prix start in Singapore, is keen to stay with the team if they offer him a contract for 2012.

Teammate Pastor Maldonado has brought both pace and a healthy sponsorship budget from the Venezuelan oil industry and, despite strenuous denials from his management team, Adrian Sutil was also reported to have been seen at the Grove factory. He too brings both pace and budget, as the conduit to current Force India sponsor Medion.

Force India currently has three drivers chasing the two race seats for 2012. Paul di Resta has close links with engine supplier Mercedes and super-fast test driver Nico Hulkenberg could well be poised to take over a race seat.

It would therefore be logical for Sutil to look at his options. Or maybe as his management team tell us, he was never there. Or might the Williams F1 base just be becoming one of Britain’s top tourist attractions?  

Steve Slater is an F1 race commentator on STAR Sports’ coverage of the Formula One.