Formula 1: 5 replacement candidates for Sebastian Vettel in 2021
By Asher Fair
Kimi Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen is the driver with whom Ferrari cut ties to replace with Charles Leclerc ahead of the 2019 season even after growing speculation that the death of Sergio Marchionne would prompt a one-year delay or perhaps even a two-year delay to promote the 22-year-old Monegasque.
That ultimately did not happen, as Ferrari opted to promote Leclerc anyway while Raikkonen signed with Alfa Romeo Racing, Leclerc’s former team.
Raikkonen signed a two-year contract to drive for Alfa Romeo Racing, so he is slated to be a free agent after the 2020 season. He could very well retire after next year considering the fact that he is slated to set the all-time Formula 1 starts record in the Austrian Grand Prix Grand Prix in July of 2020, but would the passionate 40-year-old Finn do so with a potential third stint at Ferrari on the table?
Raikkonen was always the number two driver at Ferrari when he was Sebastian Vettel’s teammate there from 2015 to 2018, but he was paramount in terms of setting up the car and delivering top-quality driver feedback.
Pairing him with a rising star in Leclerc could give Ferrari the boost they need to finally break through and win their first constructor championship since the 2008 season and their first driver championship since Raikkonen won it in the 2007 season.