Kimi Raikkonen has extended his contract to drive for Ferrari in 2018, the team has confirmed.
“Ferrari announces that Scuderia Ferrari has renewed its technical and racing agreement with Kimi Raikkonen,” the team said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The Finnish driver will therefore race for the Maranello team in the 2018 Formula One world championship.”
Raikkonen first joined Ferrari in 2007 and won the championship for them in his first season. However he was dropped by the team at the end of 2009 and replaced by Fernando Alonso.
Following a break from F1 and a return with Lotus in 2012, Raikkonen was lured back to Ferrari in 2014. His new deal means the 2018 season will be his eighth year at Ferrari.
Raikkonen will be 38 years old at the beginning of next season. He began his F1 career with Sauber in 2001 and has won 20 of his 262 starts to date.
Ferrari is yet to confirm the identity of Raikkonen’s team mate for 2018 as Sebastian Vettel’s contract expires at the end of this year.
The Italian team has an extensive squad of junior development drivers including Antonio Giovinazzi, who made his F1 debut as a reserve for Pascal Wehrlein at Sauber in the first two races of the season. Ferrari also has runaway Formula Two points leader Charles Leclerc on its books. Leclerc tested successfully for the team at the Hungaroring following the last race.
View the updated list of 2018 F1 drivers and teams
2018 F1 season
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tonyyeb (@tonyyeb)
22nd August 2017, 11:17
For me Kimi is too inconsistent which leads to Ferrari’s missed opportunity of a larger haul of constructors points. But with the driver market for 2018 not set to change too much at the front of the grid, he will fill the gap until 2019 when things will start to really hot up. I don’t see him in F1 in 2019, let alone at Ferrari.
Nick (@nick101)
24th August 2017, 3:16
There’s a reason all of his team mates of late have been making the case for him to stay…easy meat!
Raikkonen lost it years ago! Who wouldn’t want him as a team mate making you look better than you are!
DaveF1 (@davef1)
22nd August 2017, 11:26
Can say I’m surprised but I don’t think he has it anymore. Obviously Ferrari want to keep Vettel happy but they’re certainly binning any future hopes of winning the constructors, especially when Mercedes and Red Bull have drivers that can consistently deliver.
Fireblade
22nd August 2017, 17:16
There’s two completely contradictory ways of looking at this.
1) Ferrari resigned Kimi to keep Vettel happy.
2) Ferrari resigned Kimi because they’re concerned they’ll lose Vettel and need some continuity in their driver lineup from this year to next.
Of course if they build a better car than the competition they can win the constructors championship with just about any lineup, as many teams have proven over the years.
beneboy (@beneboy)
22nd August 2017, 18:50
You’re forgetting option 3; Ferrari don’t think Seb will win the Championship this season and want to ensure there’s at least one Ferrari champion on the grid next season.
JayR (@deidunxf1)
23rd August 2017, 11:29
Option 4: Ferrari signed Kimi because they do not care about the Constructor’s Championship but only care about the driver’s championship. They’ll be paid more than Merc anyway even if they finish 3rd in the constructors.
PMccarthy_is_a_legend (@pmccarthy_is_a_legend)
23rd August 2017, 14:19
Option 5: Ferrari signed Kimi for his appreciation of the lost art of Italian gellato making. Vettel approves.
Hugh (@hugh11)
22nd August 2017, 11:30
Maybe Leclerc will be in the Sauber for 2018 to then get promoted in 2019? Perhaps they don’t want to get a driver like Perez, as he’d be wanting to stay and not be kicked out for Leclerc, whereas Raikkonen will just retire…
At least that’s what I’m hoping for…
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
22nd August 2017, 11:43
Think this is bang on the scenario
anon
22nd August 2017, 11:56
@hugh11, as I’ve said before, the chances of Kimi being replaced by Leclerc were negligible given that no rookie has made his debut with Ferrari since Arturo Merzario in 1972 – Ferrari has always preferred experienced drivers, and even the least experienced driver they have taken on in the past 30 years (Jean Alesi) still had one and a half seasons under his belt.
Even your hopes of seeing Leclerc at Ferrari in 2019 sound extremely optimistic – if you look at Massa, they spent four years (three at Sauber and one as a test driver) training him up before he joined Ferrari. Similarly, although Montezemolo has said that the long term objective had been to get Bianchi into Ferrari, at the time of his accident Ferrari were looking to place him at Sauber for at least one more year (i.e. he’d have had at least three years in junior teams before possibly joining Ferrari).
With that sort of timeframe in mind, even if Ferrari did place Leclerc at Sauber in 2018 and he managed to perform strongly enough to maintain Ferrari’s support, he probably wouldn’t be moved up into Ferrari until the early 2020’s at the earliest. I wouldn’t be surprised if you saw Kimi not only driving for Ferrari in 2018, but in 2019 as well.
Nigel
22nd August 2017, 12:18
Thank you for explaining that to the newer fans. Well done.
Hugh (@hugh11)
22nd August 2017, 12:40
Yeah, I get that, but Leclerc is an exceptional talent, much better than Massa or Bianchi at this stage in his career. If he goes to Sauber, and comprehensively outperforms Ericsson, then I don’t see why Ferrari wouldn’t get him into the car as soon as possible. I get that it’s not like them to do that, but Leclerc is no ordinary talent.
anon
22nd August 2017, 13:26
@hugh11, as others have noted, we have seen several drivers over the years who appeared to be spectacular in junior series, but then failed to live up to that reputation when they entered F1. I’ve heard the phrase that driver X is “no ordinary talent” quite a few times in the past (indeed, it was only a few years ago that people were using a very similar description for Vandoorne after winning the 2015 GP2 title), but seen them struggle to make the next step up.
With that in mind, I can understand why Ferrari think that they have no need to rush – Leclerc is still young (he is just coming up to his 20th birthday), and rushing a driver into a seat isn’t always good for their long term development (in the case of Bianchi, he mentioned that he thought it was better for him to stay at Manor for longer because he wanted to have an opportunity to develop his skills in a lower pressure environment).
Hugh (@hugh11)
22nd August 2017, 13:57
Vandoorne was 23 and in his second year, Leclerc is 19 and in his first. Entirely different.
Also, the last time I heard ‘no ordinary talent’ was Verstappen, who’s backed that up, and before that, I don’t remember hearing it for quite a few years.
I get that they have no need to rush, but if he destroys Ericsson next year, and shows his qualities, would it be rushing? It’s only rushing if he isn’t ready – if he is ready, then they should go for it. If he struggles to beat Ericsson, then leave him for another few years.
anon
22nd August 2017, 15:09
@hugh11, mind you, given how routinely Ericsson is trashed here by other posters – not to mention Keith ranking him as one of the worst performing drivers on the grid this year – would it really tell us that much if he did manage to beat Ericsson?
Look, I get it that you really want to see Leclerc driving for Ferrari as soon as possible, but I just can’t see it happening within the next few years given that Ferrari have traditionally been very risk adverse when choosing their drivers.
It’s just that the general buzz around Leclerc brings to mind events such as the incessant screams on this site for Ferrari to replace Massa with Perez back in 2012. They resisted the calls then, and I similarly expect that they will resist the calls now until they have seen Leclerc prove that he can perform consistently and demonstrated his capabilities to provide strong technical feedback to the team – for all the criticism, Kimi’s feedback is still generally considered to be useful to the team – as part of the wider set of skills that show he has strong long term potential.
It may not be exciting to those who want to see a “young charger” take Kimi’s place, but Ferrari’s policy for decades been to stick to “tried and tested” drivers and it is an attitude that I can’t see them changing in the near future.
Ben (@scuderia29)
22nd August 2017, 11:35
Hmm, it will be his 8th season with ferrari, has he had a good year with them other than 2007? 2008 maybe but we’re 10 years on from then and somehow the guy still has his seat, I get the options are limited for ferrari and Bianchi probably would have had that seat by now, but Kimi is extremely fortunate to have kept his seat despite inconsistent performances for season after season
As33
22nd August 2017, 16:20
2007 WDC
2008, outclassed by Massa
2009, was the best driver with Lewis in the second half of the season, was being beaten by Massa before Hungary injury
2014, destroyed by Alonso
2015, destroyed by Vettel
2016, beat by Vettel but somehow outqualified him
2017, so far outclassed but not quite destroyed by Vettel
Racing dave
22nd August 2017, 11:36
Kimi develops cars – without him I think Ferrari would still be struggling- his Saturday and Sunday’s seem to be up and down but the car has it as shown by Seb.
Could Hamilton do a swap with Seb??
Mashiat (@mashiat)
22nd August 2017, 18:12
Kimi isn’t a development driver. Read Autosport’s recent article on him, and it states that he is quite the opposite.
JohnNik (@johnnik)
22nd August 2017, 18:25
His technical feedback is second to none.
I haven’t read the autosport report. But I know a long serving member of staff at Enstone (along with a couple other more recent employees).
I think this is an often overlooked factor in the driver market. The media often seem to get this exactly backwards for some reason.
eskopeso
22nd August 2017, 19:40
Not many other drivers have quotes from Newey, Dyer, Brawn and Whitmarsh talking about how great their technical feedback is.
GtisBetter (@)
22nd August 2017, 11:36
Expected.
Miltiadis (@miltosgreekfan)
22nd August 2017, 11:37
Having 2 extremely talented drivers at their youth programme,i would like to see Ferrari once risking with their drivers lineup.They dont seem to care for the constructors championship,so it would worth putting Leclerc or Giovinazzi(first italian in a Ferrari since 2009).
OmarRoncal - Go Seb!!! (@)
22nd August 2017, 13:46
@miltosgreekfan maybe after seeing how terribly Perez was in McLaren, and how Magnussen just delivered once (also in McLaren), Ferrari thinks that they need an experienced driver. But at least they could have chosen Perez 2.0 or Hulk (unluckily Hulk’s zero podiums don’t speak too highly about him).
Miltiadis (@miltosgreekfan)
22nd August 2017, 13:55
@omarr-pepper Bringing a rookie in any team is a risk,especially in a team like Ferrari,with the great pressure & the need for instant result.I agree that most unexperienced drivers have suffered in a big team,but look at Hamilton in 2007.Yes,he was very well prepared but he fought for the championship.He deserved the risk.The same goes for Verstappen.I would really love to see one of the 2 youngsters in the Ferrari team,to see what they can bring.Perez had 1 chance at the big team,as for Hulk,he lost his chances twice(summer 2013 & this winter)…As it seems they will remain “midfield warrriors” thoughtout their careers.
George (@george)
22nd August 2017, 17:42
@omarr-pepper
I don’t remember Perez being that bad at McLaren, he was generally on-par or just behind Button if memory serves. Not as good as expected perhaps, but not poor.
Nigel
22nd August 2017, 17:53
Indeed and he beat the very experienced JB in qualifying.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
22nd August 2017, 18:17
Perez didn’t obey team orders earlier this year. Ferrari would take that as an indication he doesn’t want to drive for them.
Nigel
22nd August 2017, 18:40
Perez is a Racer and has that Killer instinct that so many love in Verstappen.
Interesting to note that when Perez does it is not ok with the fans. Seems like a classic double standard to me.
Xavi
23rd August 2017, 1:39
Wow! What Team orders did Perez not obey?
I guess Max V will never-ever drive for Ferrari then. Singapore 2015. And that’s disobey real Team Orders.
Double standard x 2.
Nigel
23rd August 2017, 19:26
+1
Victor. (@victor)
22nd August 2017, 11:39
Waste of a seat.
Nigel
22nd August 2017, 12:08
+1000
Depailler
22nd August 2017, 23:32
Agreed
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
22nd August 2017, 11:42
You do hope that this is just so they can give Leclerc time, one year at Sauber before the big seat. Which is probably wise, and who in F1 wants to take this seat from Kimi knowing that someone else is being prepped for it? Too much risk for Grosjean, Perez and co. So, makes sense.
Nigel
22nd August 2017, 12:06
Being good in junior formulas does NOT automatically translate into success in F1. Surely seasoned fans like yourself are not that naive.
Drivers like Leclerc need to prove they belong in F1 first. In his 2nd year with Sauber Perez was getting podiums.
OmarRoncal - Go Seb!!! (@)
22nd August 2017, 13:48
Agree Nigel… and even Perez struggled when he went to a high-pressure environment in McLaren.
Xavi
22nd August 2017, 19:11
Much worse could be said about WDC Jason at McLaren during the year Perez was there (in terms of expectations based on experience). Lately any driver @ McLaren struggles, and as WDC Fernando has showed the car has been and it still is a dog, at least today they can blame it on Honda, when Perez and Jason were driving they had a different engine… same poor car performance though.
Judging McLaren drivers 2013 – to date would be a bit unfair given the poor performance of the car and top management mess.
It was expected that 2018 grid will remain almost the sane at the top. It is 2019 what will shake F1.
Cheers.
WheelToWheel (@lolzerbob)
22nd August 2017, 11:48
If Ferrari had another Bottas they’d be leading the constructors championship, this will cost them even more in 2018 if Red Bull come into the mix.
anon
22nd August 2017, 12:08
@lolzerbob, but would they necessarily be leading the drivers championship then? Equally, when it comes down to it, is it quite so critical to Ferrari to win the WCC when the existing payment structure means that, even if they come second to Mercedes, they will still earn more than Mercedes anyway?
Fireblade
22nd August 2017, 17:11
If Ferrari had a Mercedes W08 they’d be leading the constructors championship.
BasCB (@bascb)
23rd August 2017, 7:23
Ferrari get so much money up front that they don’t have to care for the constructors championship though @lolzerbob. They put Kimi there because Vettel likes him, he puts up with having to be his team mate’s backup driver only there with the target of getting Vettel a good finishing position if needed. And he knows the team etc, so it brings stability.
I really hadn’t expected anything differently (unless Kimi would choose to bow out), since any young guy they put in the car would want a go at beating Vettel, something the team really is not keen on at all.
Yeezy918 (@)
22nd August 2017, 12:06
6 Years a Number 2 – The Kimi Raikkonen Story
Makana (@makana)
22nd August 2017, 12:07
Kimi announced and Seb not… Hmmm… so the rumours are true!
sumedhvidwans (@sumedhvidwans)
22nd August 2017, 12:09
The Ferrari team of this year has been very different than the previous years (more radical in terms of car design, even bending the rules with the floor, aggressive strategies during the races, risk-taking – keeping Seb ahead of Kimi in Hungary). One would be forgiven to think that perhaps they may take a punt with LeClerc directly in 2018. Alas, it wasn’t to be.
I would have liked it more had they given a one year contract to Perez / Grosjean / Sainz; renewed Seb for just one year (which he wants); put Leclerc in Sauber/Haas for 2018. The message to the 2018 drivers would have then be clear – We are aggressive, we want Leclerc for one year and the best out of you both stays.
Dafffid (@dafffid)
22nd August 2017, 12:17
So many drivers we’d like to see given a top drive, and the way is always barred by those with not much more to offer. The principal potential interest of F1 is in how drivers compare – and we so rarely get to see top drivers go against one another in similarly competitive machinery. Three car teams was the way ahead – at least now we’d have six competitive drives on offer, and another three capable of springing a surprise. I’m sure we’d all love to see Verstappen take that seat, but I suspect Riccardo or even Sainz would have the beating of Vettel, but already it looks like neither may ever get their chance in a championship winning car. They’ll be leapfrogged by Verstappen, Ocun and whoever else, and like Hulkenberg, Grosjean and all the rest we’ll never really see what they might have done. Instead we have to watch an ageing, chained up Kimi run around in Vettel’s fumes for another year.
Nick Wyatt (@nickwyatt)
22nd August 2017, 12:50
@dafffid Agreed. The driver market looks a bit constipated, doesn’t it?
Yeezy918 (@)
22nd August 2017, 13:12
Yep. +1
zeus_m3
22nd August 2017, 17:31
Totally agree. In fact I wish 5 teams with 5 cars each.
Ben Needham (@ben-n)
22nd August 2017, 12:21
This is disappointing to an independent observer as Raikkonen is now a known quantity against Vettel and doesn’t offer much in the way of in-team friction.
That said, it’s a very “Ferrari” decision in the way that they’ve traditionally run with a No. 1 and a No. 2 since Schumacher joined. Think Irvine, Barrichello, Massa… it’s a methodology that they’re comfortable with and it’s difficult to say that it doesn’t work as a rule (see 2000-2004 for more details). It does however shoot them in the foot occasionally. 2010 and this year stand out to me as prime opportunities to win the WCC if they had a more competitive second driver.
This is surely a final slap in the face to Perez and Grosjean, who will now almost certainly be overlooked in favour of the younger generation coming through with Ferrari backing; particularly Leclerc.
Interesting that Vettel is yet to be confirmed alongside him… a twist? Or a long, drawn out contract negotiation?
anon
22nd August 2017, 15:22
@ben-n, in the case of Grosjean though, quite recently he gave an interview where he stated that he was probably being held back by the fact that, at times when driving for Haas, he has let his frustrations get the better of him and that he needed to find better ways of dealing with his frustration when he encounters difficulties.
Miane
22nd August 2017, 21:02
I think the problem isn’t having a good second driver. All Ferrari environment is focused on only one driver, it’s really difficult for the second one to have consistent results.
Nigel
22nd August 2017, 12:26
The Ugly political side of F1 this. Kimi wins the popularity vote but he is not there on Merit. I think I have lost some respect for Vettel for helping to keep the pensioner employed.
I think I can miss a few races next year F1 is no longer the spectacle it use to be.
Evil Homer (@)
22nd August 2017, 12:31
Agree with most of the above comments – a bit disappointed but was pretty well expected – he was meant to loose that seat 3 years ago. Maybe instead of The Iceman it should be Kimi The Cat- has 9 lives.
I wanted to see Perez or Hulkenburg & maybe even Grosjean get a shot before Max takes aim, but it is what it is.
That said I hope Kimi does well and shows more of the great form he shows and can still hit on a good weekend.
pSynrg (@psynrg)
22nd August 2017, 12:32
What a total disaster. I suppose we can blame Vettel, but equally Kimi is volunteering to be the fall-guy, with a handsome pay cheque no doubt…
I’ve never understood the fan popularity of this mono-syllabic ignoramus, but when the likes of Ant & Dec are voted best presenters 16 years in a row…
Yeezy918 (@)
22nd August 2017, 13:17
Because apparently it’s cool to drive around off the pace, getting irritable with your radio engineer, mistaking cars for one another and then showing an incredible lack of personality post race. But you know, he had that thing with the ice cream once so…
Nigel
22nd August 2017, 13:25
😆
Balazsryche (@balazsryche)
22nd August 2017, 13:39
I’ve never understood people who are not understood the popularity of Kimi, while they think the arrogance of Alonso and Verstappen for example are completely fine and likeable. But people are different and thats good I guess :)
Yeezy918 (@)
22nd August 2017, 13:43
Fixed. Both are 10 times the driver that Kimi is.
Personality wise, Max can be forgiven as he is a child. And Alonso is now a pretty hilarious, mellow and likeable character.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
22nd August 2017, 16:34
eeehhhh,……how do you quantify that?
either that or accurate, in a good, albeit sad way (because….GP2 engine)
Yeezy918 (@)
23rd August 2017, 9:29
I might have exaggerated a bit… but I would bet good money that either Alonso or Verstappen in that Ferrari would have multiple wins to their name by now this season.
Steve
22nd August 2017, 13:38
Kimi is becoming the new Bernie. Why is he still here, when will he go?
Nigel
22nd August 2017, 14:04
+1
Robbie (@robbie)
22nd August 2017, 13:39
What sad and depressing commentary about Kimi.
Baron (@baron)
22nd August 2017, 14:30
@robbie I completely agree. 38 years old and washed up. What I have got from this poor tempered thread is that the F1 fan base is completely ageist and that all of us (from the UK) idolise Lewis Hamilton as if there something wrong with that even if it were true, which it isn’t. This comment coming from a Brazilian who completely fails to appreciate the enormous irony of accusing other nations of nationalistic fervour. I won’t tell you how old I am, but my heart sinks when I see ageist comments such as these. If we’re not blocking beds, we’re hogging housing and now, we can’t even drive and we’re not even 40! Poor Kimi. I hope he gets a new lease of life and stuffs all his detractors..
Yeezy918 (@)
22nd August 2017, 15:37
@baron the commentary is clearly aimed at the fact that he has under performed against his teammate for 4 seasons now. Age is an easy excuse to make for that but personally I think it’s the exact same thing Ferrari fired him for the first time, he just isn’t or doesn’t want to try hard enough.
Yeezy918 (@)
22nd August 2017, 15:40
And in fact, 2008 and 2009 Massa was even beating him until his accident.
KimiRaikkonen1207 (@kimiraikkonen1207)
22nd August 2017, 17:15
I have some comments to make on this issue that have probably been cycled around in this comment section already, but I would like to post them again. First of all, I think Kimi is not there to bolster the team’s title chances, but rather Vettel’s – he is a #2 driver who is just good enough to pick up the scraps when his car doesn’t have issues or he isn’t taken out of the race. He also bolsters Vettel’s happiness driving for Ferrari. Second, he is a placeholder – they can’t take chances with a rookie and end up with a 2016 Vandoorne – Leclerc will get a drive at Sauber for 2 or 3 seasons to gain experience, then join in 2020 or 2021. Added benefits of Kimi: He is supposedly a great development driver, and his work aside from the actual race helps improve the car for his teammate and future team modifications. Another interesting thing I would like to mention is how Kimi’s performance last year drastically improved after he had signed another contract – Kimi might just be worried about his teetering situation at Ferrari, and may see a change in form coming into SPA (which, I might add, is his best and favorite track).
Yeezy918 (@)
23rd August 2017, 9:32
@baron, 2017 Vandoorne?
Reasonable comment, just disappointing for the fans who want 4 or more drivers battling for the WDC.
Michael Brown (@)
22nd August 2017, 15:49
Ageism? That’s a new buzzword.
Will Jones
23rd August 2017, 7:15
Guessing you slept through the 60’s and 70’s!!!
Baron (@baron)
23rd August 2017, 13:45
@mbr-9, New? From my own experience in the UK job market, once you reach 40, that’s it. You’re done & dusted. Now THAT’S depressing and quite ridiculous but F1 is no different from any major employer these days. They don’t want experience, they want a drone that they can train up in their own mold. What F1 actually wants is a youngster brimming with unrefined talent and full of self confidence. That’s the winning pathway. They don’t come along very often which is why they also have to employ old people….
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
22nd August 2017, 14:04
I can perhaps why they have done this but it’s a terribly dull decision. Ferrari really are risk averse aren’t they.
Kimi is driving one of the two best cars on the grid but he’s hardly making an exciting job of it. It’s quite sad that as a former WDC, he is happy to trail around as basically a no.2 driver, slavishly following team orders with his only opportunity of winning being if an accident or reliability problem effects Vettel.
They must be scared stiff of upsetting Vettel. Or very confident of getting a better replacement (for Kimi) at the end of 2018.
Fireblade
22nd August 2017, 20:17
You’ll have to jog my memory. Which team orders were those again? The team which has employed team orders most often this season has been Mercedes. That reality doesn’t change simply because people would rather not know about it.
Moving Chicane
22nd August 2017, 14:17
Bigger picture thoughts for a moment: I think this, and what I expect to be true for many of the teams/drivers this year, is the maintaining if the status quo. The sport is changing with new rules, rulers, car design reqs., etc., and the possibility of big change come 2020-2021. Teams are working with the know NOW and risk adverse as the future may require a complete “rip & replace.”
Baron (@baron)
22nd August 2017, 14:32
Good point…
JerseyF1 (@jerseyf1)
22nd August 2017, 14:35
So this got me thinking on a statistics topic, if Kimi’s last race for Ferrari is the end of 2018 then the gap between his first and last races for Ferrari will be around 11 years and 8 months (March 07 to November 18). If Fernando stays at McLaren he will also have the same period from first to last race with McLaren.
Does any other driver have a longer period from first to last race with a team – I tried to think of the drivers who might but they are mostly around the 10-11 year mark (Schumacher at Ferrari, Fisichella at Jordan/FI, Jacques Laffite at Ligier and also at Williams, Webber at Jaguar/RB, Piereluigi Martini at Minardi).
The next longest I can come up with is Berger at Benetton at 11 years and 7months. Can anyone come up with anyone with a longer period?
If Alonso goes back to Renault at any time in the future he will of course be well in excess of all of these periods (first race 2003). Had Button signed for Williams when Bottas left he would have been up at over 17 years. Massa going back to Sauber would also be a long period, though this doesn’t seem particularly likely to happen (and even more unlikely – Hamilton back to McLaren and Kimi back to Sauber after leaving Ferrari).
anon
22nd August 2017, 21:56
@jerseyf1, I think that Mario Andretti just beats it – he participated for Lotus in the 1968 Italian GP (8th Sep), with his last race being the 1980 US GP East (5th Oct), circa 12 years and 1 month apart.
I do have a contentious suggestion, which would be Jo Bonnier and the private team that he ran for himself – his first and last races for his own team were 13 years and 5 months apart (the first being the 1958 Monaco GP on the 18th May, the last being the 1971 US GP on the 3rd October that year), but I accept that private entries like that do stretch the definition of a team to its limits.
Nigel
22nd August 2017, 15:25
Well one man’s garbage could be another ones treasure.
I see a good aportunity for Renault to get their hands on Perez.
Nigel
22nd August 2017, 15:30
opportunity 😆
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
23rd August 2017, 19:36
Nigel, I’m not exactly sure what you are trying to say here (re: “garbage”).
Are you saying that Perez really deserves the Ferrari seat that is occupied by Raikkonen?
Sergio’s okay, I guess, but the money he brings is much more useful to teams like Force India or Sauber. A factory team requires pure talent, and I can’t see Perez seriously being on Renault’s radar. Surely Kubica or Grosjean (or even Ocon) would be a better fit for Renault.
Ferrari have the best drivers in the world hoping to land a drive, and I imagine that Verstappen or Ricciardo (or even Bottas) are higher up on their wish list than Perez.
HUHHII (@huhhii)
22nd August 2017, 15:27
The future of F1 is secured for one more year :) I’m glad
Biggsy
22nd August 2017, 17:02
Extremely conservative decision by Ferrari. My impression is that is shows Ferrari management lacks courage to really push the team.
Ian Parker
22nd August 2017, 17:11
From a completely management perspective, where are you going to find a driver of Kimi’s caliber (he is fast and experienced, just not fast enough for some) that will keep his “mouth shut” and not stir up the press.??
That is worth something to the Ferrari bosses.
Besides, he brings ice cream on occasion. Ooops, no more Malaysia.
I suppose if we asked, he would retort … “Leave me alone. I know what I’m doing.”
clem
22nd August 2017, 17:24
I think Ferrari have resigned Kimi for a PR move he still brings Ferrari huge merchandise sales and gives Ferrari a more marketable brand.
No matter how well Vettel drives he still is the villan and does not have the personal appear Ferrari needs to promote the brand .
I think he is going to continue having brain snaps when the “world” doesn’t go his way
He has been very lucky Kimi has been his team mate this year and “allowed” Vettel to win races that frankly I don’t think was won on ability and more so on team orders.
He makes too many mistakes these days compared to his winning days at Redbull
i hope Ferrari don’t resign him for next year and save the money and give someone else a chance that drives the Ferrari because they see it as a privilege and an honor not the biggest pay cheque in F1.
Lets hope Kimi now with a new contract for 2018 shows some of that fantastic ability he has and wins some races this year and lets see Vettel mood then
Akshat
22nd August 2017, 17:49
No. Not again. Not another year. He just needs to go. Ferrari seriously do not give a damn about new young talent and intra team competition. They just want a driver who accepts ‘number 2’ status, does not moan about and keeps away from a feirce but respectable intra team battle.
Juan Melendez (@juanmelendezr1)
22nd August 2017, 18:18
I like Ferrari, they have a tremendous history and a lot of racing soul, that being said, I want them to win the constructors championship more than the WDC, Vettel is a whiny little bitch but he gets points and wins, Raikkonen has a lot of personality but he should be retired two years ago, they need a #2 driver who can place them close to the WCC.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
22nd August 2017, 19:01
This has answered who gets one of the three important seats (one at Mercedes and the two at Ferrari).
Califormula1fan
22nd August 2017, 19:36
Safe and boring. Just the way Ferrari management likes it. A well thought out, weighed out, and rolled out decision. But, just like in many sports, if you ONLY take the high-percentage shots, you may make more of your goals attempted, but in the end lose the competition. This year’s result is exactly that: at the break, Vettel leading the driver’s championship and Ferrari in second in the constructor’s championship with Bottas ahead of Raikkonen in points. Ferrari: safely in second place.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
22nd August 2017, 20:36
I for one am glad that Ferrari have extended Kimi’s contract. He has obviously been indispensable in setting up a championship contending car, even if he won’t be the one winning the championship. He is a driver’s driver, and I hope he stays in the sport until his mid 40’s at least.
Nigel
22nd August 2017, 23:50
Gille Villeneuve must be rolling in his grave after that comment. Gille was a fighter and true Race nothing like the boring Sunday drives we get from Kimi.
marcelh
23rd August 2017, 9:31
Maybe you haven’t noticed but F1 has become boring Sunday drives.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
23rd August 2017, 12:18
I actually think Gilles would have liked Raikkonen. After all, Kimi is no Peroni.
Jorge Lardone (@jorge-lardone)
22nd August 2017, 22:01
I like very much Ferrari, I like his history and love his cars but…I can not understand why they sign Kimi again.
Anyway, good for him!
Todfod (@todfod)
24th August 2017, 6:38
They re-signed Kimi because Vettel was too much of a coward to have a competitive driver in that 2nd seat.
Tango (@tango)
22nd August 2017, 22:48
Grosjean and Perez must be smashing furniture somewhere…
DB-C90 (@dbradock)
22nd August 2017, 23:50
Not unexpected was it – for some reason teams like Ferrari, Mercedes and even Mclaren seem to think that the only way to success is to have an experienced, tried and true driver, despite RBR proving conclusively that youth can do just as well.
Unfortunately this pretty much signals the end of the road for a few drivers who have been waiting for the top end driver market to open up.
I can see the likes of Perez, Grosjean, Sainz & Hulkenburg retiring without ever having the chance of a top drive but I guess that’s just F1.
If Kubica makes a return next year the market will be even harder unless a couple of drivers at the top “do a Rosberg”
Pinak Ghosh (@pinakghosh)
23rd August 2017, 5:25
Ferrari seems to be content with maintaining stability and development momentum into 2018. They don’t want to introduce driver compatibility into the equation at least for one more year with their hands full on the technical side. At the same time as pointed out above, they need to keep Vettel in the other seat and one way of showing that is by supporting Raikkonen. Plus he brings a sizeable fan base to Ferrari. Performance wise, KR may have ticked off a few boxes of his contract as well. He has got a pole position and has played the supporting role too.
PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
23rd August 2017, 5:27
Glad to see the entire F1Fanatic community was involved in Vettel his contract making, as everyone exactly knows it’s in his contract to keep Kimi alongside,…
Here’s the other side, one that nobody bothers to look at. What if Alonso and Vettel are just way better than Kimi is right now, and Kimi is actually just driving to the cars potential, and thanks to some bad luck here and there not scoring that much. It’s not like had much difficulties with Grosjean at Lotus. Alonso and Vettel both have a very strong record of getting the maximum out of a car, race in race out.
Either way you look at it. To beat Mercedes in 2018 and 2019 I think most top teams will choose stability over a risky young hotshot possibly not delivering much. I mean, how good can any youngster with barely any experience in F1 really be expected to outperform Kimi, let alone challenge Vettel. The days of Hamilton coming in with a million miles under his belt are over.
As Mercedes have proven with Bottas, there is no shame in getting a driver that has been nurtured for a couple of years by a mid-field team. Sure there is Verstappen but one can hardly say he’s the norm,…
Uzair Syed (@ultimateuzair)
23rd August 2017, 8:20
Stupid and boring decision by Ferrari. Raikkonen isn’t good enough and should retire.
Craig
23rd August 2017, 9:17
Must be nice, being decidedly average yet managing to hang on to one of the most coveted seats in F1 year after year after year.
STG (@salmantg)
23rd August 2017, 9:24
Kimi is great. Every time there is something about kimi fans pull in, comments pull in. However, you look at it, he is the best. I am fan of kimi and will always be. If he was not good enough he would not be in the biggest F1 team for so many years and that’s the simple truth. He does his best and is rewarded with a new contract. Love him or hate him he is the best just like Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel.
F1 God
23rd August 2017, 19:10
I hope that Ferrari will give Gerhard Berger the another seat next year. I know we will see Jean Alesi & Gerhard Berger driving Ferrari in 2019.
Moi
24th August 2017, 13:18
Isnt this a simple exercise in elimination?
– Who can be confidently be expected to perform better than Kimi (as in proven trackrecord, not ‘promise’) ? In no particular order, Hamilton, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Alonso. And lets add Bottas just for fun.
– Meanwhile their biggest risk is losing Vettel as a driver
– Bottas is not available for 2018
– Hamilton is not available for 2018 (but is available for 2019)
– Verstappen is not available for 2018 (but is available for 2019)
– Ricciardo is not available for 2018 (but is available for 2019)
– That leaves just Alonso, who doesnt seem to get along with Vettel
– Vettel has stated he wants Kimi to remain
So why would Ferrari make any other choice than the one they have made, which is to take safe option for 2018 and retain all the options for beyond?
Marian Gri (@)
26th August 2017, 10:13
Mixed feelings. Partially it’s a wasted seat. Ferrari can kiss goodbye the WCC in 2018… unless they build a dominant car. Also, this is bad news for ALO… unless McLaren-Honda builds a race-winning car in 2018.