Posted on 20th August 2015
This afternoon the Ferrari team has ended the speculation and rumours surrounding the future of Kimi Raikkonen by confirming it has retained his services for the 2016 Formula 1 season.
There has been a host of names have been linked with the seat over the past few months, most notably Williams driver Valtteri Bottas, Nico Hulkenberg at Force India and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo.
But the Scuderia has decided to take up the option on Raikkonen's contract for next season and the 2007 world champion will again partner Sebastian Vettel.
In an interview with the media this afternoon, Raikkonen has stated that he is happy to remain with the team and more determined to repay the faith that the team have shown in him. Raikkonen stated the following:-
'What can I say. For me, to be able to stay another year at Ferrari means that the dream goes on. The Scuderia is my family, as I always said, it's here I want to end my career. I am more committed than ever and I want to say thank you to the people who gave me this chance. Also, a big thank you goes to all my Ferrari fans, for their continuous support.'
As Raikkonen says himself; what can he say? It is clear that he is delighted to remain with the Ferrari team next season who he wants to end his Formula One career with; in the family environment that is within the team at this present moment that he is happy with and is comfortable with. For him to say thank you to the team and also his fans is great to see and this will have only cemented his determination to keep pushing for the best possible results on the track and show the driver that he know he is and still can be.
In his own interview with the media this afternoon, Ferrari Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene added the following on resigning Raikkonen to the team for next season as follows:-
'We believe that extending Kimi's contract into the next season will provide further stability to the team. This has been our guideline, also considering the very good relationship between Kimi and Seb. On our side, this shows our great confidence in him, and I expect this confidence to be well rewarded.'
Personally, Arrivabene is playing what I would call a 'double-sword' here. Why do I think this? I believe that even though Arrivabene is happy and confident in the decision to retain Raikkonen in the team at the moment and provides them with stability going into next season with regards to their driver line up which can only be a good thing.
However, with what Arrivabene has said today by being happy with resigning Raikkonen for next season; they now fully expect him to deliver on the track as quickly as possible and also during next season while also ensuring that they take the steps needed for him to help repay the confidence that they have shown in him. Which in layman terms an competitive, consistent and reliable car for him to achieve what he and the team want to achieve together.
Because let's face it, Raikkonen has been consistently outperformed by Vettel in the wake of the four-times title holder's arrival from Red Bull at the start of this season.
While his team mate Vettel has won two grands prix, in Malaysia and in Hungary; (as well as stepping on to the podium on five other occasions), Raikkonen has made some mistakes in the first half of the season. This has been mainly in qualifying and these mistakes have only lead to him claiming a sole podium place by finishing second in Bahrain.
At this present time, Vettel has scored more than double the number of Raikkonen's points total – 160 to 76 which only shows just how much Raikkonen is underperforming at the Ferrari team at the moment and how much Vettel is making the most of the opportunities to deliver on the track when they present themselves.
But it is clear for all to see that by Ferrari and Raikkonen teaming up again for next season it is the first major move in the driver market from which there will now likely be a knock-on effect for the rest of the grid. The most significant non-move in my opinion will be that Bottas who was tipped as Raikkonen's likely replacement, will more than likely be expected to remain with Williams for next year and could be in with a shout of getting Raikkonen's drive in 2017 if Bottas continues on the path that he is now and deliver the results that is impressing everyone in the paddock at the moment.
Overall in my opinion, I believe that Ferrari have made the right choice in resigning him for the 2016; but it is clear that this is last chance for Kimi to show the driver that he know he is still capable of being. He is a world champion of the sport in own right and has shown in the last few years especially with Lotus that when everything is right for him, he can deliver just as well as any other driver on the grid today.
All I can say finally is that it is imperative that Raikkonen grasps this chance that Ferrari have given him and ensure that he does everything in his power to remind the team and the paddock of his natural speed and ability in a F1 car before he is asked to leave the sport he loves and that could be as early as next year.
If he's not careful it could just happen to him and it would be a shame to lose him from F1; but there's no question that they are a few drivers on the grid who are more than capable of taking his place in the Ferrari team in 2017 and will grasp the chance with both hands. The time for Raikkonen to perform and shine needs to be started this weekend in Belgium and justify Ferrari's decision as quickly as they've announced it.
Sarah Jones- @jonesy_laaa
