Arrivabene says he is not considering any other drivers at the moment, as he is sure any racer would jump at the chance of driving for Ferrari should he decide to replace Raikkonen.
“I am concentrating on our two guys right now and I know very well that if needed you can have a driver that is ready to jump in a Ferrari any minute,” Arrivabene told the official Formula 1 website.
“That is not a problem. The problem is to work with the driver that we have and make sure that he is giving us the best performance.
“As I said: that’s dependent on the results. If he is achieving the objective that I gave to him – why not [give him a new contract]?
Raikkonen is fourth in the championship, 36 points behind teammate Sebastian Vettel.
When asked what Raikkonen needed to secure a new deal, Arrivabene said: “A good performance. To add points to the team tally. I am working for a team with a strong tradition and Enzo Ferrari dictated this tradition.
“For Enzo Ferrari the constructors’ championship was always of greater value than the drivers’ title. So for us the constructors’ championship is very important.
“To win this title you need both drivers delivering. I talked with Kimi straightforwardly, and he knows very well: the more points he can deliver, the better his chances to stay!”
It would appear that the current formula has not suited Kimi.
This year is definitely better than last year, but he is failing to zone in on qualifying, and this is killing his chances.
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Things could change, but the more the season progresses, it is looking less likely, AND he has his age and lifestyle against him.
He is not like JB who keeps himself supremely fit (fighting back the years).
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What he needs to show, is consistent good qualifying…. if he can’t do that, then surely he’ll be replaced…… but with who?
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I’d go for Hulk.
His Le Mans win, though completely different, still counts in his favour.
Also, he has consistently wrung out the best from a mediocre car.
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Clearly Botas, Rikki, and Big John, are in the picture…… but I personally would like to see Hulk being given a chance to show what he can do.
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It’s all to play for, and everybody is aware that they are vying for a Ferrari seat…… let’s see how it plays out 😉