With scepticism greeting news of his early bath in 2013, Kimi Raikkonen on Monday said he has to have surgery on his back to end unbearable pain.
Some linked the Finn’s imminent surgery this week, ahead of the final Austin-Brazil double header of the 2013 season, with his Lotus pay dispute and deteriorating relationship with the Enstone based team.
But Raikkonen, who is switching to Ferrari next year and had a seat fitting at Maranello late last week, said on Monday that he is "disappointed" he will not finish the 2013 season.
"I would have gladly driven, but the pain is just too bad — I can not even think about getting in the car," the 2007 world champion told Finland’s Turun Sanomat newspaper.
Raikkonen’s manager Steve Robertson added: "It has been so intense in the past few days that he has not been able to sleep without pain killers."