With Kimi Raikkonen’s future at Ferrari appearing more uncertain than ever, team mate Sebastion Vettel would welcome an extension of the Finn’s contract with the Scuderia for 2016.
Raikkonen’s performance this season has been anything but impressive, and while there has been the odd spark of genius here and there, doubts regarding his sustained presence in F1 are mounting.
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BBC pundit and former driver David Coulthard chimed in yesterday, saying his former team mate at McLaren had lost his edge and that the time had come for Raikkonen to call it a day.
“I think it’s time for change,” Coultard said. “I’m not anti-Kimi at all, but having lived through that experience myself, there’s a point in your career where you just stop getting better.”
Sebastian Vettel on the other hand hopes the 2007 World Champion will be retained by Ferrari for 2016.
#Seb5 ai Ferrari Racing Days di Budapest. #Seb5 special guest at Ferrari Racing Days in Budapest. pic.twitter.com/I6qJ9gGpcx
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“Kimi will soon return to being the driver we all know,” Vettel told Sky Italia. “He is going through a season of ups and downs, but we are talking about a talent that can do his job to perfection.”
“It’s true that this year he has made some small mistakes, but in certain circumstances he was also unlucky, so I think the situation should be considered in proportion. Obviously I’d like to continue with him. We have an excellent relationship and we motivate each other, but it’s not for me to decide and I don’t know the details.”
Vettel and Raikkonen have enjoyed a friendly and close relationship for several years, indeed before they even became team mates at Ferrari in 2015. Unfortunately, it’s doubtful Scuderia boss Maurizio Arrivabene will take into account the German driver’s preferences when the time comes to choose the man he shall be paired with next year.
