Ferrari re-signs Kimi Raikkonen

[Allyc85]

As title really!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120364

Personally I think he has been a waste of a seat since back at Ferrari, but there you go!

[DuckAvenger]

Great news that!

[FW18]

Stability over performance then. Whoever gets the Hass drive to be the 2017 driver?

[VolvoT5]

Sweet! I hope Kimi can restore his reputation over the next year... 2016 will surely be his last year.

I think this is a compromise decision by Ferrari - they can't be in love with Kimi but he is a known quantity, gets on well with Seb and the alternatives are either unavailable or don't look amazing anyway. I'm assuming this is a 1 year deal with Ferrari hoping that by 2017 Bottas will have matured further or other driver options will be available without massive buy outs required.

Edited by VolvoT5 on Wednesday 19th August 16:28

[Podie]

He has been a bit unlucky this year, although Autosport stated the difference between his and Vettel's qualifying performances were the largest gap of any teammates (The Williams drivers being the closest)

[Jasandjules]

Wonder if they have their eye on a driver who is not free until 2017 and are sticking with a "safe" pair of hands until then....

[VolvoT5]

Jasandjules said:

Wonder if they have their eye on a driver who is not free until 2017 and are sticking with a "safe" pair of hands until then....

Verstappen?

[llewop]

Allyc85 said:

Personally I think he has been a waste of a seat since back at Ferrari, but there you go!

+1

I was surprised they went for him a second time after paying him off to not drive for them before!

keeping Seb happy with a clear No 2 is obviously the priority

[RichB]

llewop said:

Allyc85 said:

Personally I think he has been a waste of a seat since back at Ferrari, but there you go!

+1 I was surprised they went for him a second time after paying him off to not drive for them before! keeping Seb happy with a clear No 2 is obviously the priority

Agreed, I think he's been trading on past one slightly fortunate World Championships for several years. Somehow his rudeness is seen as cool by some yet as a driver he's never excited me.

[coetzeeh]

Awesome news - glad Kimi stays at Ferrari next year!

He will bounce back again.

[VolvoT5]

Andrew Benson must be raging right now.... he seems to have a pathological hate for Raikkonen and several times had already practically declared he was out of Ferrari in order to make way for Bottas.

[Alex Langheck]

Allyc85 said:

As title really!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120364

Personally I think he has been a waste of a seat since back at Ferrari, but there you go!

Really bizarre. Has Kimi actually done anything this season? His manager has played a blinder - maybe he can get Kris Meeke to keep his drive in the WRC; and he's actually won an event.

[Jasandjules]

VolvoT5 said:

Verstappen?

That is what I was wondering...... Young chap up and coming along with a seasoned world champion would be an interesting team...

[andy355]

I enjoyed watching him at lotus - shame he hasn't shone at ferrari.

[wolfie1978]

Sounds a bit like Red Bull keeping Webber on for the last couple of seasons. Quick enough to pick up points but not enough to regularly bother Vettel for wins or championships

[tobinen]

I don't think it's that bad a decision. He's still a decent race driver even if he has lost a few tenths in qualifying. He'll keep Vettel on his toes to some degree and he won't be earning $20m next year, even if he is now. He's 5th in the championship and I think he'll end up fourth behind his teammate. A decent no.2 for Ferrari.

[BoRED S2upid]

A solid number two to Vetel something that Botas wouldn't be. Ferrari have always preferred to have a second driver rather than two top drivers possibly taking each other out.

[Jasandjules]

There is also the fact that a number of his "problems" which resulted in him not doing as well as Vettel, were not as a result of his driving.. So it is a bit fairer to give him more of a chance.

[fcuk1_6]

He hasn't measured up favourably to Alonso or Vettel but was on a par with Massa when Massa was at his best (pre-accident) while at Ferrari, who in turn is pretty much on a par with Bottas at Williams now so don't see why Ferrari would have paid off Williams for Bottas, Hulkenburg or Riccardo would have made more sense to me having always bettered their team-mates in the past but hey-ho.
Think this will mean things will be pretty stagnant in the drivers market for next year's line ups for the front-running teams unfortunately.

[RichB]

fk1_6 said:

... things will be pretty stagnant in the drivers market for next year's line ups for the front-running teams unfortunately.

OOI why is that unfortunate?