Ferrari has stopped the driver merry-go-round in its tracks by announcing that Kimi Raikkonen will keep his job for next season.
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Four-times world champion Vettel, who moved from Red Bull at the end of a year ago, has already won two races for Ferrari while Raikkonen has not triumphed since he was at Lotus in 2013.
Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene explained the decision to keep Raikkonen on board was reached on the basis of him being a reliable performer, which the team believe will continue.
Speculation over whether or not Scuderia Ferrari would re-sign Kimi Raikonnen for the 2016 Formula 1 season has been swirling all year, but the rumors can now be put to rest. “The driver line-up next season will still consist of the Finnish driver and Sebastian Vettel”, Ferrari said in a release.
“This has been our guideline, also considering the very good relationship between Kimi and Seb”.
Raikkonen’s deal with Ferrari was due to expire at the end of the current campaign and reports last month in Italy indicated the veteran was poised to be replaced by Williams’ Valtteri Bottas. “On our side, this shows our great confidence in him and I expect this confidence to be well rewarded”, added Arrivabene.
The most significant is that Bottas, tipped as Raikkonen’s likely replacement, will be expected to remain with Williams for next year.
Vettel, who enjoyed a stunning career with Red Bull, now sits third in the world championship drivers’ standings on 160 points, 42 behind Britain’s Lewis Hamilton (202).
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Raikkonen, however, has made numerous errors this year, mainly in qualifying, leading to the 35-year-old claiming a sole podium place by finishing second in Bahrain.
