My principle complaint with Raikkonen has always been his assertion for pay in the face of there being no money to distribute to those who I consider to be more deserving of that money.
Who should get paid first? Should the team give Raikkonen $20 million and then plead poverty when it comes time to pay everyone else? And should Raikkonen assert his right to payment, if he is a higher-priority creditor than his fellow employees, in such a situation.
Make no mistake, I am not debating whether he can do so or not. If he has a contract that states he should get paid 'x' from 'y' by time 'z', then anyone is fully capable of exercising that right. Whether that is an ethically or morally correct position to take is a completely different question. Whether he is in possession of such a contract is another, particularly the stipulation regarding when he is to be paid.
Lotus and Genii have clearly operated in a manner that I would consider to be unprofessional. Making promises, retracting those promises, issuing new assurances; you don't behave this way in a professional environment without severely impairing your reputation.
In my opinion, Raikkonen has also acted in an unbecoming manner. Like Lotus, he is not fulfilling the covenants of his contract. Many people in the US and Brazil would have bought tickets specifically to watch him race. And he's doing so for reasons that are motivated by selfish petulance and convenience.
He's really got down into the mud and slung it proper this time. No "keeping Mum about the issues" as per his Ferrari exit. I wonder how quiet and professional he would have been if Ferrari hadn't paid him off. Given he appears to be driven by money exclusively, my guess is his mouth would have been flapping like a loose sail if the incentive to shut-up had not been provided.
Unfortunately, some of the fallout has stuck to his reputation, which is already not stellar. His actions suggest that there will be no employer beyond his contract at Ferrari, as those with the money to afford his demands might not be willing to accept those demands. And I doubt he will care, because he's pocketed the better part of $250 million.
That's REAL capitalism right there. Maximise your personal utility at the expense of literally everything else around you. And don't give a shit while doing it. Nice.
By the way, I don't hate the guy. I just find this incident a bit reprehensible, and neither party is blameless.