Have Ferrari Made a Mistake Retaining Kimi Raikkonen for the 2016 F1 Season?

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: November 20, 2015

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After last weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene spoke about his outlook for the 2016 Formula One season and his team's fight with back-to-back champions Mercedes.

"If you want my honest expectation, it's not to be closer to them but to be in front of them," he said, per Sky Sports' Mike Wise. "I tell you with humility but we are closer even now; we must be in front next year."

If that really is Ferrari's forecast—that they will be challenging the Silver Arrows for the world championship—have they made a mistake retaining Kimi Raikkonen alongside Sebastian Vettel for next year?

It depends on the team's priorities.

If Ferrari's first goal is for Vettel to win the drivers' championship, then keeping his friend around—the one who has finished ahead of him just three times in 18 grands prix this year—is a smart choice. It keeps Vettel happy while ensuring his team-mate does not steal too many points from him as he hunts down the Mercedes duo (or, more realistically, Lewis Hamilton).



Raikkonen is 36 years old and his skills are slowly fading. That is not meant as an insult, it's just a fact. F1 drivers, like all athletes, do not last forever, and the sport's newest rookie sensation, Max Verstappen, was three years old when Raikkonen made his debut with Sauber in 2001.

As athletes near the age of 40, their abilities generally decline. Even Michael Schumacher, another great Ferrari driver, won his last championship at 35. In his three comeback seasons with Mercedes, starting at age 41, he was handily outscored by his team-mate, Nico Rosberg.

Maybe you read it at the time, but consider again Arrivabene's statement when the team extended Raikkonen's contract for 2016:

We believe that extending Kimi’s contract into the next season will provide further stability to the team. This has been our guide...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Formula 1

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