Formula 1: New Ferrari contract on the horizon for Kimi Raikkonen

Several sources have reported that 2007 Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen is set to continue driving in Formula 1 for Scuderia Ferrari for at least another two seasons.

While many people believed that the 2018 Formula 1 season would be the final season during which 2007 Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen would drive for Scuderia Ferrari, the 38-year-old Finn is likely set to return to the team for the sixth consecutive season and ninth season overall next year in what would be his 17th season in Formula 1.

In fact, despite the fact that many people doubted that Raikkonen would return to Ferrari in the 2019 season, it is believed that he will sign a two-year contract to remain with the team through at least the 2020 season.

The team’s other driver, four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel, signed a contract last summer to remain with the team through at least the 2020 season as well.

In June, it was revealed that Ferrari were ready to replace him with Alfa Romeo Sauber rookie Charles Leclerc. It was revealed shortly thereafter that Leclerc and Ferrari had reportedly reached an agreement that the 20-year-old Monegasque had not yet signed.

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As a result, many people anticipated that Leclerc would, in fact, be the teammate to the 31-year-old German beginning in the 2019 season and that Raikkonen would likely not only leave Ferrari but retire from Formula 1 altogether after the 2018 season comes to an end.

However, none of those things will likely end up being the case.

With the sudden death of former Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne, who was a big fan of Leclerc and wanted him to drive for the Maranello-based team as soon as possible, Ferrari were forced to rethink their driver strategy for next season, and that strategy evidently does not included replacing the veteran Raikkonen with the young Leclerc.

Instead, Ferrari reportedly want to keep Vettel and Raikkonen paired with one another due to their strong relationships both on and off the track. Vettel himself claimed that he does not believe Leclerc is ready to drive for Ferrari, and he also claimed that he prefers Raikkonen to be his teammate because of their relationship with one another.

The fact that Raikkonen has finished on the podium in all five races since it was revealed that Ferrari were ready to replace him with Leclerc starting next season, giving him five consecutive podium finishes for the first time since his championships season in 2007, may also have something to do with the fact that he will likely be signed by the team through at least the 2020 season.

If Raikkonen’s new contract does end up being confirmed, it is expected to be confirmed on the weekend of Ferrari’s home race, the Italian Grand Prix. That race is scheduled to take place at Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Monza, Italy on Sunday, September 2, and it is scheduled to be broadcast live on ESPN2 at 9:10 a.m. ET.

Are you excited that Kimi Raikkonen will likely be returning to Ferrari in the 2019 and 2020 Formula 1 seasons, or would you rather see him be replaced by a driver such as Sauber’s Charles Leclerc? Will Leclerc eventually end up replacing Raikkonen? If so, when? If not, could a team such as Aston Martin Red Bull Racing potentially come along and snag him?