Ferrari extends Raikkonen’s contract to 2017

2017 F1 season

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Kimi Raikkonen will continue to drive for Ferrari in 2017, the team has announced.

A statement issued on behalf of team principal Maurizio Arrivabene said: Scuderia “Ferrari announces that it has renewed its technical and racing agreement with Kimi Raikkonen.”

“The driver line-up for the 2017 racing season will still consist of the Finnish driver and Sebastian Vettel.”

Raikkonen rejoined the team in 2014 following a three-year stint between 2007 and 2009 during which he won the world championship in his first season with the team. He has taken four of the team’s nine podium finish so far this year and is tied with Vettel on 96 points.

Sunday’s race will be Raikkonen’s 100th as a Ferrari driver. His most recent victory for them was at Spa-Francorchamps in 2009.

Ferrari join Red Bull in confirming an unchanged driver line-up for next season. Mercedes are in discussions with Nico Rosberg to retain his services alongside Lewis Hamilton.

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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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81 comments on “Ferrari extends Raikkonen’s contract to 2017”

  1. Hooray! Is it too early to drink whiskey? Yes? I don’t care :)

    Fantastic news. Apart from few weaker weekends Kimi has done superb job this season and I highly doubt any driver who would’ve been available could’ve done better job than Kimi.

    1. LotsOfControl (@for-unlawful-carnal-knowledge)
      8th July 2016, 9:20

      Word!

    2. @huhhii

      I still believe he can do it, but then I am a fanboy of the iceman

      However I do think other drivers could have outdone him this year, he always starts with a disadvantage and has to use alternative strategies from qualifying to slow

      every year in my fan mind I build up expectations because the regulations or the car is gonna be more pointy at the front end or some other hopeful imaginary reason.

      But I still think, believe and hope next year will be better

  2. Kimi has done well this year but this definitely does break the driver market up a bit, and to be honest I’m a bit bored of seeing him continue to race next year for Ferrari. I hope Kimi can justify this by winning a race by the end of the year, that would be great.

  3. Almost any reasonable driver could do that well in a Ferrari. Max V, Sainz, button, grosjean, ricciardo etc could all do better. Dull safe decision.

    1. 3 of the drivers you mentioned are under contract.

      There is no certainty on the other 2 either, Raikkonen was better than Grosjean overall when they were together and I do not see Button as being worse or better.

      Perez? It’s harder to impress at the sharp end, he was great at Sauber but not great at McLaren so maybe he would fall short again at a bigger team. Seems a logical decision from Ferrari.

      1. Markp, with regards to how Grosjean matched up to Kimi at Lotus, it is worth noting that it really wasn’t a fair situation. The team made it very clear that Kimi was their No. 1 driver, and therefore gave Kimi considerably more support and, quite often, was given upgrade packages before Grosjean.

        For example, back in 2012 Grosjean was originally not going to be allowed to test the Australian GP spec aero package during pre-season testing – Lotus allocated all of the test time for that package solely to Kimi, and it was only because Kimi suffered from food poisoning on one day that Grosjean got to try it at all.

        In the opening flyaway races in 2013, meanwhile, Grosjean was intentionally kept one upgrade package behind Kimi – as soon as Kimi was given a new piece of upgraded bodywork, the used part was then transferred onto Grosjean’s car.

        Equally, the plan to extend the wheelbase of the E21 that year was made specifically with Kimi in mind – when you have very favourable treatment and bespoke upgrade packages made with you in mind, I’m not surprised that Kimi had a marked advantage over Grosjean.

        It was noticeable that, as soon as the team began to give Grosjean more support when Kimi announced he was moving to Ferrari, the situation reversed and suddenly Grosjean was a much more competitive driver – which I think says a lot about how much Lotus were influencing the relative performance of their drivers.

        As for Perez, whilst it is true that he did struggle at McLaren, the team also treated him fairly poorly and did very little to try and support his development. His career also became entwined with the battles between Whitmarsh and Dennis over control of the team – there were quite a few political battles between them, and when you consider that Dennis was actively courting Alonso at the time, it would be in his interests for Perez to struggle so he could justify terminating his contract.

        1. I am always cautious when saying 1 driver was given better treatment. The only reason an F1 team would do this is to maximise a driver they strongly believe or have evidence of being clearly better than his teammate.

          Perez may have been caught in politics at McLaren but of all teams Ferrari is arguably the most political and drivers under the most pressure.

          For me there is no clear evidence either of these drivers would be better so staying with what you know maybe best. Would the other 2 sign a 1 year contract? Kim I has leaving Ferrari to try for others in a year when there maybe more scope to try for drivers like Verstappen, Ricciardo, Hamilton etc.

          1. It all makes sense Markp. Kimi was more expensive for Lotus so they had to make sure he performed well

            – more championship points
            – better marketing value (Kimi being the most popular driver, it means quite some money for a struggling team)
            – more money in case of contract buyout

            In the end I think they really believed Kimi was the better of the two.
            Given how Räikkönen performed poorly against Alonso and his first year with Vettel, I think he had lost his first edge and is nos slower than Grosjean (who’s fast, don’t get me wrong).

    2. The Blade Runner (@)
      8th July 2016, 14:55

      @Depailler I’m inclined to agree with you. This looks to be a very “safe” decision.

      There are plenty of drivers that have served their apprenticeship at one or more teams already and that would have been a more inspiring choice.

      This makes 2017 very much about the car as far as Ferrari is concerned. Some new blood would have spiced things up quite nicely.

    3. I am suprised Kimi is content with being a shootgun Driver…..Kimi knows knows he will be number 2 while Ferrari are waiting for Max or Ric ect….

  4. Well tickle me Scuderia Ferrari Red! I guess on paper he’s matched Vettel’s points tally thus far but you have to ask if that’s reflective of actual performance. Vettel has been hampered by strategy and bad luck, 3 potential wins have slipped his grasp not because his driving wasn’t up to it but because of a strategy choice.

    On the other hand Raikkonen has not snatched two potential wins by getting stuck behind Verstappen. In Spain as great as Verstappens drive was, I can’t help but think Vettel on his heals could have found a way past. And just last week in Austria given how close they wound up to Mercedes after the silver pair tripped over each other, it wouldn’t have taken much to be have been able to grab that win had Raikkonen not struggled to pass Button and then wound up watching Verstappens gear box again.

    Luck is a big part of F1, but there are times when great drivers reach that little deeper to play the hand they’re dealt to great effect, Raikkonen just doesn’t seem to have that anymore. I can only assume Ferrari are avoiding a Mercedes situation where they have two drivers who are going to trip one another up next year if they are up the pointy end.

  5. I fully support the decision and get to see my favourite driver in the red overalls for 1 final year.

    He has done enough to retain his seat and I dont believe there are too many options available for Ferrari at the moment since it would be a bit of unknown.

    My only grouse is that Ferrari dont seem to give equal weightage to him in the race and its always an uphill climb for him to come to terms. He will bring stability and his non controversial approach will help the team focus on the basics and rebuild.

  6. I’m not especially excited by the idea of Raikkonen staying at Ferrari for another year. I’d’ve liked to see them taking a chance on Grosjean who’s obviously quick and has matured well.

    I can’t help but wonder if the original expectation in the team was that Raikkonen’s services wouldn’t be needed this long. There’s obviously been some disruption to their young driver programme with the terrible loss of Jules Bianchi and then Raffaele Marciello being let go after an underwhelming stint in GP2.

    1. Actually it is rather perfect. Leclerc will be ready in a year or two if they really, really finally want to invest in talent. Biggest talent out there that isn’t already in F1 (with Vandoorne).

    2. The likes of Grosjean, Perez and Bottas are strong drivers. But are they really a match for Hamilton/Rosberg or Ricciardo/Verstappen? I get the feeling Ferrari chose to keep Raikkonen because right now there isn’t another Class 1 driver to replace him with. I suspect they are hoping one becomes available for 2018 – or they take a punt on someone like Sainz or Leclerc?

    3. I guess with Kimi sort of hanging on in there and being only about 2-3 spots off where Vettel would have been when Seb did not finish and Seb being happy with his support crew the team played it safe (again) – not the real winner mentality, but I guess the fear of failing is still bigger than the will to take a step to actually get onward in the championship.

      With all the pressure having Hamilton and Rosberg in the team, I think it does push both of Mercedes drivers to get the maximum out of the car more often than not, as well as pushing their teams to come out on top. The same worked pretty well for McLaren when they had Button and Hamilton in the team. Or indeed it worked with Webber and Vettel, but again now that Verstappen is challenging and pushing Ricciardo within Red Bull, as soon as that element of competition got back in we saw Red Bull getting less whiney and more focussed on improving their game.

      I think most of us would agree that Ferrari needs to create something like that too. With Schumacher they maybe did not need it, because Michaels ambition paired with Brawn and Todt pushing the team along gave that drive.

      1. ColdFly F1 (@)
        8th July 2016, 12:45

        “the team played it safe – not the real winner mentality”
        That’s my biggest concern about this announcement. @bascb

        1. Evil Homer (@)
          8th July 2016, 13:09

          @coldfly

          That’s exactly what I thought too Coldfly, Ferrari seem to, yet again, made a decision that will keep them in good stead for 2017 but not make them barn burners for 2018 and beyond. I thought time for a change up and as they don’t do new blood often or really at all I was hoping for Checo for the drive for next year.

          Nothing against Kimi as I think he is great but was time to move on. Jules was their obvious succession plan and so sadly not to be so looks like they have been not too sure on where to move from there.

        2. exactly @coldfly, @evilhomer. This is the reason I see Red Bull (or yeah, possibly even McLaren) being more likely to be the ones to beat Mercedes than Ferrari are

          1. Evil Homer (@)
            8th July 2016, 13:48

            @bascb @coldfly
            Imagine the different reaction between a young driver telling Mum & Dad he has signed at Ferrari or Red Bull:
            Ferrari: Thats great son we are son proud, ok, you will be paid really well and be there for a long time, don’t buck the status quo, don’t try and be a hero and excel, then you can retire in 10 years time very wealthy.

            Red Bull: Ok lad, you have two years, but probably less to beat all sorts of F1 records or they will ditch you for the next young star, and he is now still in year 4 at school. You wont get paid much but will get a good bonus if the team knows where your tyres are. Good luck, but I will ring your uncle just to see if that sales job is still available as you may need it soon !
            :)

          2. Hm, I get what you are saying. But previous glory does not get you sporting success (parents might be almost as excited about the kid joinging McLaren or Williams based on their past glory!). But a team relentlessly working at having the best parts in place might.

            And if you believe in yourself/kid being the best already, then there is no reason why you wouldn’t be at Red Bull for a decade unless they stop being focussed enough (See Verstappen) @evilhomer.

            And given enough time winning, Red Bull will also get teh prestige

    4. At this point I’m not sure Romain is as available as he might have seemed, as I thought he was committed to Haas for 2017 (emotionally if not on paper). The situation at Ferrari is not great but not so bad as to be worth breaking contracts to resolve. And I don’t think drivers currently see what they want to see in Ferrari. Sure, they’ll win the odd race if they go there, but they can’t expect to fight for the title. Static state of the championship competitive order tends to encourage similar static behaviour in that part of the driver market.

      I’m 100% sure Ferrari didn’t expect Kimi to be needed this long; that plan A was to replace Kimi with Jules in 2016/2017. If Raffaele was plan B, then that plan got sidetracked before plan A, simply because Raffaele was by that point on the wrong career trajectory to reach F1 fast enough. Charles Leclerc looks like Plan C (or D, if plan C was to pick up a grateful Romain from an underperforming Haas – a plan disrupted when Haas entered F1 in such style), but even if Charles is the next Max Verstappen, he won’t be ready for Ferrari until 2018. That, plus the possibility of having Grosjean as an alternative replacement, would be why the wording of the press release suggests Kimi is only there for one more year (at this time).

    5. Kimi is a good choice compared to Grosjean, who has done nothing to warrant a seat. The guy is struggling against Gutierrez and that is nothing to be proud of. The real problem was that Ricciardo, Verstappen and Rosberg are under contract at their teams, whilst the other options Perez and Bottas aren’t definitely going to do better than Raikkonen.

      1. @lolzerbob – I’m curious, why do you think Grosjean is struggling compared to Gutierrez? Grosjean has scored all the points for Haas so far, starting at the very first race of the season and also at the last one. Grosjean’s qualifying average is 13.89 compared against Gutierrez with 15. On average Grosjean qualifies just over a tenth faster than Gutierrez and is 6:3 ahead so far. On average, Grosjean gains 0.89 places at the start of a race; Gutierrez loses 0.56 places.

        On the other hand, I agree that Raikkonen is a good choice for Ferrari; a known quantity, works well within the team, decently quick, a team player. Ferrari isn’t interested in driver’s championships, they are interested in steady points scorers. Their focus is solely on the Constructor’s title.

        1. @tribaltalker – Gutierrez has always been slow and in 2013 he only beat Hulk once in quali and twice in the races across the whole season. Grosjean only scored points in the first two races when Gutierrez retired, in Bahrain, Gutierrez was very close behind before he retired. Grosjean can’t really put Gutierrez away which he really should be doing

          1. Assuming Gutierez is at the same level now as 2013? He may have matured in 3 years and improved so comparing 2016 v Grosjean to 2013 v Hulkenberg is like comparing apples and pairs. Remember 2012 Grosjean v 2016 Grosjean, he developed an awful lot in that time.

          2. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
            8th July 2016, 13:38

            @lolzerbob apparently, Haas has been having trouble with temperatures on the ultra soft which is why Gutierrez is doing better on occasion – both drivers are lost trying to figure out how to make the tyres work. Gutierrez might somehow get them to the optimal temp which they both don’t know and get better performance. Gunther said they are gaining a better understanding.

    6. Ferrari was happy with Kimi so they signed him for another year. Kimi has been fast enough this year and I’m sure Ferrari values the relationship between Kimi and Seb while they try to catch Merc (which may be affected by the building bad karma between Lewis and Nico).

      Ferrari clearly chose to announce this early to stop the speculation for 2017. Let’s see how fast the speculation for 2018 starts-

      For the candidates I would have picked either Bottas or Perez of of the available drivers (counting Merc and RB drivers taken). Both Bottas and Perez have driven solid races (within the limits of their cars) and are clearly faster than their teammates.

      1. Andrew (@bombinaround)
        8th July 2016, 13:48

        Perhaps they announced Raikkonen since Sainz was confirmed as having extended his contract with Red Bull in Austria and they were out of options

        1. Do not think Ferrari is out of options regarding the drivers. They tends to hire more experienced drivers and therefore it is not likely Sainz was on top of their list (might be at some point as he has potential).

          Bottas has not announced his plans for 2017 (surely he was thinking about Ferrari after last year’s talks) and Perez is available (FI would love to cash in on Perez).

    7. @keithcollantine
      Räikkönen probably isn’t the most exciting choice, but I think he’s the best choice for Ferrari for now. He’s doing a rather good job this year – he has the same amount of points as Vettel so far and while he has had some luck compared to Vettel, that is an impressive result nonetheless in my opinion.

      I don’t get all this hype around Grosjean. He couldn’t match Räikkönen during their Lotus years and while Grosjean has undoubtedly matured since those seasons and is achieving good results at Haas this season, he’s had Maldonado and Gutierrez as team mates after Räikkönen, so it’s hard to say how good he’s actually performing.

      People are excited to see new drivers on top teams and that’s understandable, but I don’t think any of the available drivers would’ve been a better choice for Ferrari than Kimi is. Kimi is performing very well at the moment and he’s a known variable. Besides, Ferrari already has probably the best driver on the other car, so their driver line-up is very strong already and there’s no need for hasty decisions.

    8. @keithcollantine
      Ferrari were actually monitoring RoGro racing data this year thanks to their technical partnership with Haas team.
      There should be a motive for not signing him because he’s younger and a more affordable option than Raikkonen and he was vey exited about the idea of
      joining them.
      We all know that RoGro isn’t that world class driver but he’s a good prospect for that second Ferrari seat maybe he faced issues with the Ferrari PU, or he was not as good as kimi in fuel saving, tyre management…
      The loss of Jules (RIP) was a big blow up for Ferrari plans because he was already in contention for this year’s seat.
      Ferrari were actually looking for Ricciardo (his own words) but he extended his contract with with the Bulls, a very smart move BTW because he will be able to monitor the situation next year when the regs will change. If RBR will be team to beat he will stay if not he will have the chance to join Ferrari in 2018.

  7. Bwoah!

    Next: Massa stays at Williams, Button stays at McLaren.

  8. Tony Mansell
    8th July 2016, 9:41

    A lot to do with his good relationship with Seb id have thought. Not a lot to do with his underwhelming performances IMHO. Never understood the Kimi fans. Hes quick but his overtaking ability is questionable and his aggression and risk taking is conservative. At best. Still one WDC and 5+ years at Ferrari 12+ years in f1 so what do I know

  9. the funny thing is people thought other drivers could’ve done as well as Kimi…give me a break!!!

    1. With that appealing argument (“…give me a break!”) there is no room for the smallest doubt, you have to be rigth, what a logical argument you put there.

  10. Kimi has had a better season than he’s gotten credit for and he’s been (much) better than he was the last two seasons. Not sure any available driver bar Perez would do better in that car and not even sure Perez would, actually. Happy to have Kimi around another year.

  11. Adam (@rocketpanda)
    8th July 2016, 9:59

    I really like Raikkonen but I am a bit underwhelmed to see him stay. I don’t think he’s quite on the pace of the Red Bulls or Mercedes drivers – or on Vettel’s to be honest. Safe choice, can’t help but think Bottas or Perez would have been better.

  12. It’s amazing how some drivers can be completely mediocre but keep a seat in a top team for years…

    1. Raikkonen’s the new Massa I guess.

    2. Sad for F1. I like some excitement and Perez or Bottas would have been great for the sport. How do the Italian fans put up with the decision making at Ferrari. Vettel has 4 tittles he needs a little push and Kimi will not do that.

  13. Dreadful :(

  14. Although I want someone who can push Vettel further, like Mercedes and Red Bull drivers I can see why they went for Kimi. Which one is a suitable substitute?

    Bottas: Not really impressive this year. Just the one podium at a track which suits the Williams isn’t exactly stand-out. Isn’t crushing Massa like we thought he would do.
    Grosjean: First couple of races were a fairy tale. But they can compare the data between him and Gutierrez and probably concluded it wasn’t really that much difference in the end.
    Sainz: Commited to Red Bull and waiting for the sister team seat. Shows great promise and I can see the rumour starting again next year considering how well Max has done. Still a bit too young for Ferrari I think. They don’t take chances on youth in their own team.
    Perez: Great run of form at the moment. But I can see his one bad year at Mclaren makes top teams reluctant of picking him again.
    Hulkenberg: Outperformed by Perez on multiple occasions. His time waiting for a top team is effectively over now.

    1. One bad year at McLaren with a horrible car. Podiums with 2 different mid-field teams. He is beating Hulk who many think is a great driver. Do the math. Ur underrating Perez.

  15. Neil (@neilosjames)
    8th July 2016, 10:09

    Probably been watching Hamilton and Rosberg at Mercedes this year and decided… nah. Don’t want any of that.

    1. the rumor of rosberg to go to Ferrari was absolutely horrible

      1. Yeah occasionally taking Vettel out is not what Ferrari are looking for.

        Can’t image why he would leave Merc anyway.

  16. Morningview66
    8th July 2016, 10:16

    I don’t believe Raikkonen is a Vettel/Rosberg/Hamilton/Ricciardo/Vestappen level anymore.

    But I don’t think Perez/Hulkenburg/Sainz/Bottas/Grosjean are on a level to replace him.

    They would need to be turning in performances in their cars equal to Kimi in the Lotus 2012/13.

    Currently they are turning in Nick Heidfeld Lotus performances. They are Heidfeld’s

    1. Evil Homer (@)
      8th July 2016, 13:31

      @Morningview66
      But I don’t think Perez/Hulkenburg/Sainz/Bottas/Grosjean are on a level to replace him.

      The problem here is that we really don’t know until these guys get their shot to prove their worth. I remember when Daniel was announced at Red Bull, I was pumped. There were many on F1F said he is boring, cant race, Seb will smash him but when Ricciardo got a good(ish) car in 2014 he proved he was a world class driver.

      Same can be said of these guys listed above, if they got their chance in a top car they may well surprise a few!

      Jenson to Williams must be a done deal it seems, but he would be bloody good commentator if he does retire :)

      1. So true I did not think much of Ricciardo at Toro but once he got to Red bull it was a deferent story.

  17. So Bottas was rumoured to be taking Kimi’s seat this year and now it’s not happening next year either….

    Bottas, Button lineup for Williams 2017? #HopeSo

    1. I already said the only thing that could make my Day any better would be the confirmation of button for Williams

    2. Honestly, Bottas has simply not been impressing that many people ever since his strong 2014. Pair that with Kimi’s abysmal 2014 and you’ve got 50% of the reason of the rumour right there.

      Let’s not forget that Massa has been pretty close to Bottas over this and the last season and Ferrari know exactly what Felipe Massa can do..

  18. I would’ve thought they would have given Kimi Raikkonen his follow on and gave some one else a chance to be a contender for the world championship. Personally I would’ve love to seen Aussie Dan Ricciardo take on Sebastian in the same team once again.

  19. Makes for a stable pairing with the change in regulations. I guess Kimi will quit at the end of the year if he is too slow on the new rules compared to Vettel.

    Honestly the choices don’t excite me. Grosjean getting shown up by Guti and Perez will be happy to stay put at FI.

  20. Unexciting news but the only excitement would come from the change itself and not from the prospect of Bottas, Grosjean or Perez. Sainz yes would be a reasonable gamble.
    Now If I were Marchionne by now I would have realized that since the engineering team is unable to produce a front running car for nearly a decade I would hire one of Ricciardo/Hamilton because if I can’t have the best car I would have an absolutely top drivers pairing.

  21. Best news today!

  22. Ben (@scuderia29)
    8th July 2016, 11:59

    As a ferrari fan im disappointed, they should have let him go at the end of 2015, he’s not done nearly enough to deserve yet another year at the team. He picks up a few pieces when vettel is struck down but he cant capitalise on maximum points, failing to get past verstappen a few times. He’s got no fire in him anymore and keeping him for another year is just a lazy decision, no doubt they’ll keep him into 2018 too unless kimi announces his own retirement.

  23. Somehow I was hoping to see Button alongside Vettel in a Ferrari because I think he can do better than Räikkönen and give Vettel a run for his money. Alonso and Button are pushing each other very good where as Räikkönen doesn’t seem to be able to give Vettel that extra amount of pressure.

  24. And Ferrari wonder why they can’t win a WDC or the Constructors title.

    They just keep doing the same thing over and over as do some of the other so called top teams.

    They pay a fortune for big names that do nothing to justify the money they are being paid.

    Surely they will wake up but sadly not this year.

    1. you so don’t belong in this thread :)

    2. Tony Mansell
      8th July 2016, 14:44

      I completely agree and your comment ‘so’ does belong btw.

    3. I agree with you, @dbradock. Kimi and Jenson are have been’s who won their WDC’s on luck. Slightly above average F1 drivers that have overextended their careers in F1. Jenson, at least, is a likable guy, while Kimi has the personality of a door knob.

    4. Very true Kimi is just plain boring.

  25. Sadly it means no seat for Perez which I was hopeful of.

    This could either signal a potential move for Sainz next year.

  26. Sure, there were plenty of drivers performing better at the moment who are available, but would that necessarily translate into red in 2017? I suppose Ferrari can at least count on their drivers having a pretty decent relationship as well. It almost seems as if Ferrari really do not want someone who will challenge Vettel too hard. Yes, the standings say that Raikkonen has matched Vettel this season but look at the finished ahead, qualified ahead and laps ahead stats and it’s one-sided yet again, despite the endless issues Vettel has had.

    As for the likes of Leclerc and Fuoco, I cannot see Ferrari elevating a youngster into the main team straight away.

    Ultimately, as much as I like Raikkonen, I can’t help but feel that the decision to keep him on is a bit disappointing and underwhelming. But if their target is solely the Drivers’ Championship (because with the ludicrous way the money is distributed at the end of the year, their Constructors’ Championship position hardly matters), it does make sense.

    1. I am surprised they haven’t given a hopeful a 2 year contract. In 2019 you have Ricciardo and Hamilton available.

      I’m not convinced Bottas or Perez are really the future. They’re a safe-ish pair of hands, but they aren’t going to match Vettel and push things forward.

      If they’d brought Grosjean in on a 2 year deal they may have potentially found their man so they don’t need to spend megastar money or worst case they look to make a big signing then.

    2. Evil Homer (@)
      8th July 2016, 14:28

      @craig-o

      If Ferrari really don’t want a 2nd driver to challenge Seb then they really need to give him a car so he can battle for the championship, which they currently are not doing. You don’t say hey mate, don’t take 3rd off him, do you?

      I hoped Checo and was happy with Grosjean. Romain I think will be pretty disappointed by this news, it seemed he did see this as his avenue to get this drive and now even if Kimi is for one more season he has missed he opportunity it seems as he will be in no better position to drive for Ferrari in the year after as opposed to next. If you are struck off their list it seems no coming back- that’s now HUL, BOT, PER & GRO that are very unlikely going forward- ironically the only one in recent times to get a 2nd chance is Kimi himself :)

  27. Still I Rise
    8th July 2016, 13:16

    Thankfully Ferrari used common sense rather sign Perez. Playing the long game to get their guy. Few good weekends doesn’t justify a seat. McLaren learnt that lesson. Hulkenberg, Perez etc etc obviously the F1 eggheads see stuff us fans don’t. Good choice by Ferrari they need an experienced guy who’s seen it all with the new reg’s in 17 and then they can make a good move in 18.

    1. The Blade Runner (@)
      8th July 2016, 15:04

      You might be right, although I always feel there is as much a consideration of politics as there is of performance when Ferrari chooses its “number 2” driver.

  28. Well done, Ferrari!
    There is some sense in this team’s decisions in the last couple of years!

  29. isnt this because 2017 will bring drastic changes and kimi would really help out with car setup / feedback? seems like that type of driver will add a lot of value next year

    1. My thoughts exactly. A stable driver pairing for unstable times. My day is made by this news!

  30. A safe decision for Ferrari. He’s generally justified the team’s faith in him this year. His experience will be valuable in dealing the new rule changes as well.

  31. These are terrible news. What a waste of seat, this guy is soo boring to watch, I think it makes f1 less attractive, regardless of the fact that I had high hopes for Perez

  32. Very understandable choice by Ferrari, but even I as a fan can see that it’s not due to on track performance.

    1. Younger talent still under contract (or haven’t had a stellar season)

    2. Cooperation at Ferrari due to him not playing politics, at a time when they really need to develop the car rather than think about who’s #1 and #2

    3. Great feedback on car behaviour with new rules and tires coming in for 2017 (few other drivers have quotes from the likes of Newey, Brawn, Whitmarsh and Dyer about how accurate their technical feedback is)

  33. If anyone is to replace Kimi, they really need to be much much better.

    Like example, Riciardo, epic driver, but only 3 wins, Verstapen awesome talent, but kid is not even 20. Perez scores podiums, but almost always on strategy and making tires work.

    They need more like Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel…. Good thing they already have one, and with car they have, they cannot afford racing incidents the way mercedes can.

    1. You do understand the deference between a top team car and a mid-field car right? Ricciardo was not great in a Toro but in a Red Bull he drove better. Verstapen not one podium in a Toro. The cars have changed a lot since Hamilton started. Perez is the one that impresses me the most.

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