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Kimi Raikkonen re-signs for Ferrari for the 2017 season

By Andrew BensonChief F1 writer

Last updated on .From the section Formula 1comments93

Kimi Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen starts this weekend's British Grand Prix level on 96 points with team-mate Sebastian Vettel

Ferrari have re-signed Kimi Raikkonen as team-mate to Sebastian Vettel for the 2017 Formula 1 season.

The 36-year-old's future had been in doubt as the team considered whether he had done enough to earn a fourth consecutive season with the team.

They have decided that he is the best option as support to four-time world champion Vettel, who leads their team.

It will be a seventh year at Ferrari for the Finn, who won their last drivers' title in 2007.

Raikkonen's second run with Ferrari has been up and down - he was comprehensively outperformed by his first team-mate Fernando Alonso in 2014 and by Vettel in 2015.

Raikkonen has again generally been behind Vettel this season but has shown some improved form and this was enough to persuade them to retain him for at least another year.

The decision was also partially based on the lack of availability of top-line replacements.

The team were very interested in Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, but both are under contract to their existing team for at least another two years.

Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz and Force India's Sergio Perez were also on their list but are also under contract to their existing teams and would have had to be bought out of those deals had Ferrari decided they wanted them.

"I think it was the right call," said Vettel. "We know our primary target is to catch up so we need to be all aligned and pushing in the same direction. With Kimi, there is no politics. We put our own egos aside, which is good for the team."

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93 comments

  • Comment posted by U15022100, at 11:49 8 Jul 2016

    Championship points so far this year:
    Vetel - 96
    Raikkonen - 96
    Why would they drop a proven point-earner? Plus he's the most entertaining interviewee on the grid!

  • Comment posted by U15447144, at 11:24 8 Jul 2016

    Excellent news for those of us who like our racing drivers with a little bit of individuality and personality.

  • Comment posted by Enjoy Yourself, at 11:14 8 Jul 2016

    Consistent driver - almost always in the points if he finishes and has been there, seen it, done it.

    Ferrari will always score well in constructors with Kimi as a driver and that's important to them.

    Also he's the most 'stig-like' driver out there and good for the sport.

  • Comment posted by U16154398, at 11:36 8 Jul 2016

    Of course they keep him for another season, Vettel is always happy to be teammates with someone who isn't able to challenge him.

    As soon as someone is too competitive (Ricciardo), Vettel won't want to be a part of it.

  • Comment posted by Dubz2010, at 11:42 8 Jul 2016

    Probably a good decision to retain experience to help them get to grips with the new car next season. They can draft in new blood for 2018 to take advantage of the improvements Kimi will have assisted in providing the year before.

  • Comment posted by DuaneK, at 11:42 8 Jul 2016

    Ferrari's position in the last 20 years has been to have a No1 (MS, KR, FA and now SV) and a No2 as opposed to the equality of Merc and McLaren etc.
    Kimi is to them just a No2 now, good,competent driver who will pick up points but unable to regularly challenge the team leader. Like Button and Massa, his best years are behind him but his personality & experience is worth holding onto in F1.

  • Comment posted by DS002, at 19:24 8 Jul 2016

    Once again I am agreeing with Seb on an issue, which is starting to become an annoying habit, where keeping Kimi on at Ferrari is the best option.

    What's far more pleasurable is knowing that the article on this very topic, from last week, was full of pointless speculation & that the F1 fans are far more wiser than the so-called journalists who know nothing about this or any other topic

  • Comment posted by kurse0408, at 19:11 8 Jul 2016

    Great news.

    The BBC pundits, Andrew Benson, Jenny Gow and Allan McNish all question this decision!

    If they look at the facts, Kimi has scored the same as Vettel and when you take into account Kimi had technical issue in Australia and had to survive Vettel punting him in China, Ferrari have clearly made a very good decision.

    BBC pundits dont like anything that isnt Hamiltoncentric.

  • Comment posted by Jim, at 14:58 8 Jul 2016

    Can't see Hamilton at Ferrari while Vettel is there. Ferrari have a policy of number 1 and number 2 driver - neither Hamilton nor Vettel would settle for being number 2 driver in a team.

  • Comment posted by wheresmeeyes, at 13:39 8 Jul 2016

    wonder what Kimi's reaction was to this news:

    err yeah OK

  • Comment posted by Melomorphox, at 13:00 8 Jul 2016

    That's a bit of a disappointment. I would have preferred to see someone else such as Sainz, Grosjean or maybe even one of the Force India drivers given a chance in the Ferrari. It would have been interesting to see how they measure up against Vettel, who once again has a solid but unspectacular team mate.

    Raikkonen is a safe but uninspiring choice. Are there no talented young drivers around?

  • Comment posted by Danny Smith, at 21:46 8 Jul 2016

    So Benson's contract is coming to an end. This is a prime seat. It's not a Mercedes, but it is the next best thing. In my opinion, the BBC should look at a change. In fact, I think they should have done so last year. Whether you like it or not, Benson is not the future. His best performances are in the past. He has always been comprehensively out-paced by Murray Walker

    Courtesy of Allan McNish

  • Comment posted by davis, at 17:39 8 Jul 2016

    Haha.. this is great news

    Benson & co will have to wait another year before they re hash their " why Ferrari should get rid of Kimi" material

  • Comment posted by Dutchjimbo, at 16:42 8 Jul 2016

    @24. I'm sure Mercedes thought long and hard about paying the 'average driver' you refer to around £20m a year.

    Some comments on this board really do defy belief.

  • Comment posted by Grumpywebbo, at 15:52 8 Jul 2016

    No stand out replacement is available just now. Sainz, Perez, Bottas, Grojean all show good speed but are they absolute top drawer? I'm not sure they are.
    After next year quite a few drivers are out of contract like LH and DR for example. I cant see SV wanting either of those two as a team mate though. More likely to be one of the up and coming drivers, whoever impresses the most next year.

  • Comment posted by MrTKsDaddy, at 14:22 8 Jul 2016

    By what measurement is Hamilton average? Because he has the best car?

    Farina, Ascari, Fangio, Hawthorne, Brabham, P.Hill, G.Hill, Clark, Surtees, Stewart, Fittipaldi, Lauda, Andretti, Piquet, Prost, Senna, Mansell, Schumacher, D.Hill, Villeneuve, Hakkinen, Alonso, Vettel (and others!) all won while in the best car (at some point).

    All average drivers then...

    (yes I have said this before)

  • Comment posted by DMA, at 20:58 8 Jul 2016

    I can't see why Benson should have his contract renewed when there's plenty of other potential replacements waiting to take his "seat". Button is the most obvious choice, as the audience loves him, although it's true that Top Gear will probably snap him up

    Webber does the Aussie GP so he is getting plenty of reporting experience

    I'd go for Alonso though just to add some international flavour

  • Comment posted by F1Knowledge, at 19:56 8 Jul 2016

    worse news to come.......

    bbc to re-sign benson!

  • Comment posted by dougal, at 18:38 8 Jul 2016

    " Kimi only performs when threatened with the axe"
    "will jump out of vettel's way"

    Strange then that his points score is the same as Vettel.

  • Comment posted by jean caron, at 15:31 8 Jul 2016

    I think it is a good move on Ferrari's part, he has the familiarity within the team, all is well right now between the drivers and they do not have to bring an outsider to start all over again to fit in while they are trying to get up to speed with the M-B. Raikkonen has the maturity and experience to help in the development and often it counts for more than the race pace.

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