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Ferrari yet to decide on Raikkonen's future

Published on 31 Aug 2018 18:30
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By: Fergal Walsh

Ferrari has not yet decided on the future of Kimi Raikkonen, stating that there is "no time frame" for a decision to be made. Raikkonen's future has been up in the air over the past couple of months, as the team is evaluating whether it will place its junior driver Charles Leclerc in the car for 2019.

Despite being just a rookie, Leclerc has impressed this year, collecting 13 points so far in an improving Sauber. Ferrari's new CEO Louis Camilleri spoke to reporters on Friday, and claimed that the Italian outfit is yet to decide who will be Sebastian Vettel's 2019 teammate.

"We have not taken a decision yet," he stated. "When we take that decision, and there is no timeframe, you will be the second to know. "I know Kimi very well. he's a dear friend, has been for a long time.

"As for the decision-making process, it's a team decision. As Maurizio [Arrivabene] is our team principal, ultimately he'll take the decision. But we will discuss it. Once we're ready, we'll tell you," Camilleri added.

Raikkonen is on course for his strongest year at Ferrari since he re-joined in 2014. So far this year, the Finn has picked up eight podium finishes and currently lies third in the constructor's standings, ahead of Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas.

Camilleri added that he was not looking to make any major changes as part of his new role: "Obviously the team has considerable momentum. I'm happy. It's a team, a great team, and I don't expect any [major] changes. I have the ambition, like everyone else in the team, to win."

F1 News Valtteri Bottas Sebastian Vettel Kimi Räikkönen Charles Leclerc Sauber Mercedes Ferrari

Replies (5)

ajpennypacker

Posts: 2,475
Ferrari will never find a more subservient and willing #2 driver. They should keep him. They have disrespected Kimi for the last 4 or 5 years with this year to year contracts, compromising his strategies, and allowing him to underperform significantly with relation to his teammates... Kimi is their guy.
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- Aug 31 2018 - 18:38
KyalamiKid

Posts: 146
Seeing that Kimi is happy to drive as a no2 for Ferrari anyway or at least swallows his pride with all the ' bad luck ' he s been having, I hope they make a straight swap - LeClerc in the Ferrari to keep Vettel on his toes and Kimi to Sauber to help develop the team.
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- Aug 31 2018 - 19:58
Ram Samartha

Posts: 1,172
Kimi knows that his best chance for a second title is with Ferrari so if he can get a seat with them he will take it. If not he may just have a chance to develop a team and even perhaps fight for wins with the new regulations coming up. He looks more energized and enthusiastic as I've ever seen him so even if he doesn't get the Ferrari drive he looks like he wants to race in F1. He's good with development so any team like McClaren or Williams or Sauber or even Haas would love to him. I could see him taking Haas to the next level as well as being popular with the American audience. People talk about Kimi only being a number 2 driver but he and the team all say that the drivers are free to race until there is a clear number 1 in the championship and the other driver will support them. I'm not sure why people don't believe that. I haven't seen anything to suggest otherwise unless you think Kimi's so-called bad luck is intentional to keep him behind Vettel. That seems pretty ridiculous that even Ferrari would do that. Kimi's bad luck seems to be mainly due to his team dropping the ball on quite a few races. If they could get it together and pull of some perfect weekends Kimi's side of the garage could have been fighting for the title.
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- Aug 31 2018 - 20:19
- kngrthr
  
  Posts: 203
  i agree.
  Kimi is still very fast. he tops many practice sessions or if Vettelis is fastest only misses by milli seconds.
  
  be should have won spa, only Ferrari's qualifying mess up left him vulnerable to the crash fest.
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  Sep 1 2018 - 02:32
cricho

Posts: 80
kimi is still very fast and Ferrari have great momentum right now. It would not be wise to change things around and Ferrari know that. Hope he gets his first Win at Monza 2018, he deserves it!
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- Sep 1 2018 - 04:44