Hamilton questions axing of 'extraordinary' Raikkonen

Hamilton questions axing of 'extraordinary' Raikkonen

Martin Macdonald

Tuesday 2 October 2018 13:08

Lewis Hamilton has confessed that Ferrari's decision to let go of Kimi Raikkonen in favour of the much younger Charles Leclerc does not "make sense" to him, with the Finn set to leave the Prancing Horse to return to Sauber for the 2019 season.

During the summer break, Ferrari broke the news that they would not be extending Raikkonen's contract, instead opting to promote junior driver, Leclerc. This was in line with the wishes of former CEO Sergio Marchionne, who passed away before the change was completed.

Article continues under video

Hamilton, who is the leader of the 2018 rankings, has previously spoken of his admiration for Raikkonen, and remains baffled as to why Ferrari have not kept him in their ranks.

“I don’t think Kimi is going to change in the last races," the Brit suggested.

“He is an extraordinary professional and a fantastic driver.

“He remains one of my favourite drivers, and I’m convinced that Ferrari is losing a very important driver. It does not make sense to me.”

Hamilton was asked by journalists whether, if he felt strongly about a decision made within his team he did not agree with, whether he would mention his concerns to his team boss, Toto Wolff. The Mercedes man agreed, saying there has to be trust within a team to talk about uncertainties.

“The trust is there between us. If Toto came up with a crazy idea we’d definitely discuss it. I’d say ‘Toto, are you sure?” Hamilton said.

MORE: Vettel hoping for two Hamilton DNF results
MORE: Hamilton wants Sochi completely changed