Kimi Raikkonen to continue in F1 "if collaboration is good" - Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo

Raikkonen to continue in F1 "if collaboration is good" - Alfa Romeo

The Finn is out of contract at the end of the year

Ian Parkes

Sunday 13 September 2020 09:13

Alfa Romeo team principal Fred Vasseur is ready to hand Kimi Raikkonen a new deal for 2021.

Raikkonen is out of contract at the end of the season and has previously suggested "the bigger picture" of his wife and family will determine if he signs on for what would be a 19th year in F1.

With the Finn yet to score a point this season, there are likely question marks over his motivation, notably as the team's position towards the rear of the grid is unlikely to alter next year due to the stability in the regulations.

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Asked of Vasseur whether he would re-sign Raikkonen providing the 40-year-old wanted to remain, Vasseur said: "Yeah, sure. If we are all interested to collaborate and the collaboration is good, it will make sense to continue."

The suggestion is Alfa Romeo will likely hand a seat to another of Ferrari's academy drivers in current F2 championship leader Mick Schumacher, Calum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman, who are second and third respectively. The trio are all on a list of possibles.

"We have some Ferrari drivers, junior drivers," added Vasseur. "But you have Kimi first for us, to know what he wants to do and what we want to do with him and then we will see with the other ones."

Vasseur has not ruled out the possibility of Sergio Perez joining the team after the Mexican was axed in favour of Sebastian Vettel for next season.

As to Alfa Romeo's interest in Perez, Vasseur said: "I think that Checo is interested in all the seats on the grid, available at least.

"I won’t move. I told you last week or the week before, in the course of September we will have the discussion with our drivers about next year and then we will decide together what we have to do. For sure, now, we have plenty of drivers available on the list."

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