Sebastian Vettel has endorsed Ferrari’s decision to re-sign his team mate for next year.
Ferrari announced this morning Kimi Raikkonen will remain with them for at least one more season. Vettel said the decision is “the right thing to do” because it will remove the distraction of questions over Raikkonen’s future..
“I think we are both pushing very hard,” said Vettel, “I think our primary target is to catch the leaders, in that case Mercedes. So there’s plenty of work ahead of us.”
“I think it’s important that there’s been a lot of talk and it all goes to quiet and we can focus on our work.”
Vettel says he and Raikkonen have a good working relationship on and off the track which is healthy for Ferrari.
“I would say that probably Kimi and myself have the least ego problems in the whole paddock which I think is good for the team,” he said.
“Working in the same direction, on the track we both try to race hard as we’ve shown in the past, in the races where we’ve raced for position, I think that’s normal. Outside the car I think there’s no problem.”
2016 British Grand Prix
- 2016 British Grand Prix team radio transcript
- Second Driver of the Weekend win for Verstappen
- Wet race at Silverstone leaves many cold
- A delayed start is better than a Safety Car start
- Top ten pictures from the 2016 British Grand Prix
Tony Mansell
8th July 2016, 16:11
I couldn’t give a monkeys about a drivers personality but I have to say thatSeb Vettel is a top top bloke. Always warmed to him and one of the few id go for a beer with. A class act.
Gary
8th July 2016, 16:46
Agree, and he’s a real student of the sport’s history
Zap (@zapski)
8th July 2016, 16:46
To quote Jenson Button on this very topic, “Come again?”
Velocityboy (@velocityboy)
8th July 2016, 16:49
The cynic in me says he wants Kimi back because he knows he’s faster than Kimi.
gdewilde (@gdewilde)
8th July 2016, 17:35
That’s not cynical, It’s the truth ;-)
John H (@john-h)
8th July 2016, 17:05
To be honest, this is easier to say when you’re not fighting for a championship!
JammyB
8th July 2016, 17:33
Kimi is one of my favourite drivers but I think it’s plainly clear he isn’t as fast as he used to be. I don’t think Vettel would be so happy if he had a young fast teammate next to him, so I can’t see Ferrari signing anyone that can challenge Vettel anytime soon. Speed wise there’s a clear 1 – 2 in that team which keeps them out of each others way so they’re obviously not going to do anything to upset that.
Nick (@npf1)
8th July 2016, 19:35
Kimi might not be as fast as he was in 2003 through 2007, but frankly, he wasn’t at Lotus either. He’s been pretty inconsistent ever since he came back, but after the disaster that was 2014 he’s been reaffirming himself in my opinion. What people seem to forget is that Ferrari have never really been a team to scoop up young and promising drivers.
Felipe Massa was signed as early as 2002, but still spent a year testing in 2003 and a two years with Sauber again, so he hardly was fresh pickings when he joined in 2006. Perhaps Jean Alesi counts better, but Ferrari was a bad place to be for a driver of his calibre in the early 90s.
Ferrari’s only realistic other options were Grosjean, Hulkenberg and Perez. Carlos Sainz might be close to Verstappen, but Red Bull seems keen on retaining him, while I never really believed Daniel Ricciardo was going to leave Red Bull on an upward curve for the relatively stagnant Ferrari. Grosjean could well put in the same results as Raikkonen does in the car, but Ferrari are pretty keen on Kimi outside of the car. With Hulkenberg and Perez you’d have a guy who can be fast, but as well disappear for half a season.
Plus, I think Ferrari’s track record from 1996-2006 and from 2010 through 2013 means no young driver wants to take a seat alongside an established Ferrari driver who is also world champion out of fear of playing second fiddle.
floring (@floring)
8th July 2016, 22:16
I don’t understand what you mean about Kimi not being consistent with Lotus. I remember in 2013 he held the record of most consecutive points finishes, 26 or 28 or something. And he finished second 6 times, plus a win and a 3rd. I think 2014 is the year that really killed his spirit.
F1 in Figures (@f1infigures)
9th July 2016, 10:11
Kimi probably was only good in 2001 and 2003-2005. In 2003 he was really promising and in 2005 he was incredibly fast but unlucky. However, his fighting spirit was horrible in 2006 and he squandered a likely win in Hungary in a silly way. In 2007 he was outclassed by Hamilton and Alonso for most of the season despite having a better car and in 2008 he was terrible for most of the season.
His comeback in 2012 with Lotus was successful, though, as he was able to take a cautious approach to the race. He took it easy at the start and then he his superior tire management would do the trick. It enabled him to score a lot of podiums, but only a few wins as he usually lost too much time early on. When the tires got harder in late 2013 he lost his key strength and he faded badly in the second half of the season. With Pirelli being conservative in 2014 and 2015, he lost out badly against two of the best drivers in the field. This year the tires are generally softer due to the new tire rules and therefore Räikkönen is closer to Vettel, but due to his better qualifying pace Vettel still has the upper hand.
Uzair Syed (@ultimateuzair)
8th July 2016, 18:36
I think that we all know the real reason why Vettel is happy with the decision. ;)
Oletros
8th July 2016, 19:02
And the reason is….
duncan idaho
8th July 2016, 21:50
He gets half of Kimi’s salary?
j3d89
9th July 2016, 0:01
That kimi alway treated him like a person not matter if he was a rookie.. and even after becoming 4th time champion they still kept the friendship the same…
Not the reason the hater is thinking..
Nick Wyatt (@nickwyatt)
8th July 2016, 19:46
“I would say that probably Kimi and myself have the least ego problems in the whole paddock which I think is good for the team,”
That sounds like a sly little dig at another team where there *do* seem to be competing egos.