Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, Monza, 2018

Raikkonen to lose Ferrari drive at the end of 2018

2018 F1 season

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Ferrari has officially confirmed Kimi Raikkonen will not drive for the team in 2019.

“Scuderia Ferrari announces that, at the end of the 2018 season, Kimi Raikkonen will step down from his current role,” team principal Maurizio Arrivabene said in a statement.

“During these years, Kimi’s contribution to the team, both as a driver and on account of his human qualities, has been fundamental. He played a decisive role in the team’s growth and was, at the same time, always a great team player.

“As a world champion for Scuderia Ferrari, he will always be part of the team’s history and family. We thank Kimi for all of this and wish him and his family a prosperous future.”

The 38-year-old won the world championship in his first season after joining Ferrari in 2007 and remains their most recent drivers’ champion. However he hasn’t won a race for the team since he returned to them at the beginning of 2014.

Ferrari development driver and Sauber racer Charles Leclerc is expected to be announced as Raikkonen’s replacement for the 2019 F1 season.

Raikkonen’s first stint at Ferrari lasted betwen 2007 and 2009, following which he was replaced by Fernando Alonso. He spent two years out of F1 then returned with Lotus in 2012, and was re-hired by Ferrari two years later.

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Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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40 comments on “Raikkonen to lose Ferrari drive at the end of 2018”

  1. ahhhh crap. :(

    1. ..sauber confirmed apparently?

  2. Probably decided earlier, but they did not want to spoil the mood at Monza.

    1. @coldfly

      I reckon you’re right.

      Come to think of it… It did seem like Kimi was racing for himself instead of the team during the whole weekend. He got the benefit of track position in qualifying.. and he didn’t let Seb take him on the inside at turn 3 on raceday.

      Should be interesting to see how much more cooperative he’ll be to team orders for the rest of the season.

      1. great, now we will see real racing in Ferrari, since kimi has nothing to lose/worry anymore… i hope they wont burn him if he does his own races with tyres or keeping him out long.

      2. Since they seem to have bought him a cosy place to relax while also driving fast at Sauber, I’d pretty sure that thought will have played a huge role in Ferrari’s thinking as well @todfod, @coldfly. And maybe thoughts about next year played a role in Vettel’s mood.

  3. i’m sad :(

  4. I would have selfishly loved to see him drive another year but I think its the right decision for Ferrari in the long run. I cant see him joining another team, I think that’ll be him done with F1. Shame he couldn’t get a last win in Monza.

    I’d love to see him back doing the after race interviews!

    1. @brawngp

      I cant see him joining another team, I think that’ll be him done with F1.

      I think your post was 20 minutes too early :P

      1. lol tell me about it! I really dont understand what he wants to do there. It goes against all hes said in the past.

        1. An ownership share (if true) in the team probably helps.

        2. That he loves racing but hates all the BS surrounding racing in F1? I think it makes perfect sense @brawngp

  5. Even after his decent run of form in the past half season or so, I’m still glad to see Ferrari go for some fresh blood.

    1. I actually thought this was Kimi’s best season since 2013. If you add up all the points he’s lost through mechanical retirements (Bahrain & Spain), and bad luck DNFs (Spa), he’s less than 10 points behind Ferrari’s golden boy.

      Honestly, if they wanted to get rid of Kimi after 2015 or even after 2017, it would feel justified, but this season, it’s feels a little harsh.

  6. Kimi also announced on his Instagram account that he will be driving at Sauber next year

  7. I was writing a farewall to Kimi, but suddenlty he announces a Sauber return!!! I consider it ideal, having a driver like Kimi in a midfield team!
    As for Ferrari, there is a big dilemma now. Its obvious that Leclerc will replace Kimi, but Ferrari must scrap or reduce the No1 & No2 status that they used all those years. Having an exciting lineup like this, it will be great shame to see them imposing team orders & spoiling the party. They must do a 2007-2009, when they had equallity & they won their last champioships.

    1. What F1 season are you watching? 2010? Ferrari haven’t had unreasonable team orders for years now, i.e. only when one is obviously holding up his teammate, or when they are on totally different tyre strategies.

      1. Yeap sure😂 😂😂😂
        You know, team orders is bot the obly way of spoiling driver’s equality… They must follow the same strategy, they must give them equal treatment when pitting and so on…
        Ferrari doesn’t do that in ages…
        The statement “Ferrari haven’t had unreasonable team orders for years now, i.e. only when one is obviously holding up his teammate, or when they are on totally different tyre strategies” can be used by eveey team on the grid when imposing team orders.
        Tell me when it was the last time that 2 Ferrari cars fought wheel to wheel on track…

        1. Monza about a week ago?

          1. My god… They “battled” for 1 corner, turn 1 chicane…If this is considered a battle , then ok🙄

        2. R U for real?! No team can offer a treatment beyond doubt in the 1st place! The drivers perform differently, therefore different starting positions, different laps to pit them, backmarkers etc etc etc…. and all of these factors determine the strategy for every driver.

          Tell me when it was the last time that 2 Ferrari cars fought wheel to wheel on track…

          Dunno… 2017 China… When RAI in a better car didn’t do anything against RIC, then VET put to “shame” both of them?!?!

  8. @keithcollantine

    Ferrari has officially confirmed Kimi Raikkonen will not drive for the team in 2018.

    I think you mean 2019.

  9. The drive with Sauber is according to some rumours linked with a stake in the team as well.

  10. Sad. And still a great move, for Ferrari and F1. Fantastic that he will be at Sauber!

  11. Sad about it. But its time to move on. Sayin that Kimi is one of the best. Juss lossed his need to win. If he wanted to I feel he would be WC.

  12. A little bit sad about it. Since they bet on him so much time anyway without noticeable results, kinda wish they kept him from now on too until he decided to retire. Probably at the end of next year. But, the logic says Thank God! What took you so long? In my opinion, if Leclerc turns out to be a promising option at the end of 2019, Ferrari should back him up completely and if Vettel makes a big deal out of it, they should get rid of him. Vettel doesn’t look like a very good bet anymore, because of the age too.

  13. R.I.P. Formula One. Was one while it lasted.

  14. I called it a long time ago that something was not quite the same at Ferrari any longer and the dynamics has changed the moment Kimi started performing well and beating Vettel. Kimi knew then that he was gone and didn’t want to be remembered as a No 2 driver to Vettel anymore.

    That is why he asked Jock Clear I think it was to be clear to him on the radio if he wanted him to move over for Vettel in one of the recent races and also stayed ahead and defended so vigorously against Vettel at the start in Monza. My instincts were so right.

  15. Makes sense because he would not be allowed to win another big one anyway. The best thing to do for himself now is to win another race before he goes back to Sauber.

  16. Finally! And finally!

  17. Unsurprising.

  18. I’d get Leclerc in there right now.

    I don’t think you can trust Kimi to play second fiddle. Last thing you want is another Singapore incident created by Kimi.

    1. Seb wont like this at all, Ferrari will try to keep Kimi in check with pit stop stratergies like they have all year but Kimi will be keen to race on track. Seb making a few mistakes which has cost him some points of late but this wont help his Championship.

      1. Kimi showed at Monza that he just isn’t up to standard. Ferrari needed him taking those 25 points from Hammy but blew it (the Mercedes was clearly quicker in a straight line though).

        Ferrari might put Kimi on an alternative strategy to give both drivers a shot at winning, but Mercedes routinely sabotage Bottas’s race in order to act as reargunner for team leader Hammy.

        1. ” (the Mercedes was clearly quicker in a straight line though). ”

          Disagree, for a change I think that it was the most evenly matched I’ve seen the two cars, considering both HAM and RAI overtook each other on the same lap.

  19. Sorry to nit-pick Keith ;-)
    Your sub-heading should read “Ferrari has officially confirmed Kimi Raikkonen will not drive for the team in 2019.”
    Not “Ferrari has officially confirmed Kimi Raikkonen will not drive for the team in 2018.”

    Apart from that, greta article, keep up the good work :-)

    1. Damn my own speedy fingers when typing :-D

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