Pundits expecting Kimi Raikkonen to call it a day at the end of the season may have to change their outlook after the Finn suggested he is open to extending his stay with Ferrari for another year.
After 16 years at the pinnacle of motorsport, the 2007 world champion was expected to head into a comfortable retirement at the end of the season, and make way at the Scuderia for either Charles Leclerc or Daniel Ricciardo.
While the Finn’s results stagnated in 2017, prompting Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne to label the 38-year-old “a laggard”, Raikkonen is performing on a par with team mate Sebastian Vettel this season, although he has yet to deliver a win to the Scuderia.
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The 20-time Grand Prix winner remains coy on his future however.
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“It’s not my decision. It depends on the team and they know exactly what I want,” said Raikkonen.
“I do not drive in Formula 1 if I do not have fun.
“The pleasure of driving is the only thing that keeps me here. I can do without everything else, even though it’s the way it is,” he added.
“The decision is influenced by many things, but at least my passion for racing will not disappear from this moment to the end of the season.”
Raikkonen can also count on his team mate to plead his cause.
“I think he’s fast enough compared to anyone out there,” Vettel told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Ferrari may find it easy to find a driver, but it’s much more difficult to find someone with the same values and respect,” he added.
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