Ferrari not Kimi Raikkonen retirement to determine Antonio Giovinazzi F1 future

Alfa Romeo

Ferrari not Raikkonen retirement to determine Giovinazzi F1 future

Giovinazzi could be replaced by a fellow Ferrari academy driver

Ian Parkes & Nicolas Quarles van Ufford

Thursday 22 October 2020 17:04

Antonio Giovinazzi has confirmed his Formula 1 future with Alfa Romeo is dependant on Ferrari and not the potential retirement of current team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

Fellow Ferrari academy member Mick Schumacher has been heavily linked to a seat at Alfa Romeo where he would likely take Giovinazzi's place should he be promoted.

In the wake of Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean confirming they will leave Haas at the end of the season, Giovinazzi could yet be switched to the American team for 2021 given the Ferrari ties between the two marques.

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"It’s not my decision," replied Giovinazzi to the suggested Haas links ahead of this weekend's Portuguese Grand Prix.

"Like I always say, I’m focused just on my job that is driving and for the rest, it’s not my decision. We need to see what happens with Ferrari, with Alfa Romeo, and then we’ll see. For me, the target is, of course, to be on the grid next year.

"I would like to be with Alfa Romeo because it’s an important team. It’s the team that I started this career in Formula 1. I would like to continue with Alfa Romeo but, like I said, it’s not my decision.

"There are talks going on and we will hopefully see soon we can have the answer."

Alfa Romeo's partnership with Ferrari allows the latter to house an academy driver at its fellow Italian team, which was previously Charles Leclerc, now Giovinazzi.

The seat currently occupied by Raikkonen could be available should the Finn decide to retire at the end of this season, although he has yet to make a decision.

Giovinazzi, though, has insisted any call from Raikkonen does not influence his future.

"I don’t know what he [Raikkonen] will decide but from my side, it’s not [whether] Kimi stays or not, it’s the decision of Ferrari and Alfa together," added Giovinazzi.

"It’s not my job. My job is to drive and I need to do like in the Nürburgring and in Sochi as well. Continue like this, this performance and then we’ll see."

Before you go...

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