Marchionne: “Räikkönen must prove he deserves to stay”

Returned to the clan of Team Ferrari in 2014 after a notable stint for its return to F1 at Lotus F1 Team, Kimi Räikkönen has still not found the path to victory with the Italian team, often leaving the spotlight to his teammates Fernando Alonso et Sebastian Vettel.

The 2007 World Champion, whose extension had fueled rumors during the previous campaign, finds himself once again at the center of attention ahead of the 2017 season. The Finn's contract expires at the end of the year, and Ferrari has still not expressed whether or not it intends to extend its driver's lease.

Sergio Marchionne, president of the trans brandalpine, also declared in the columns of Gazzetta Dello Sport, that on his performances, Räikkönen’s future at Maranello would depend. “It’s up to him. The rest of the story between Kimi and Ferrari will depend on his performance. He has to show that he deserves to be here. » commented Marchionne.

Räikkönen scored three podiums in 2016 with the SF16-H, a car that the Ferrari president considers “difficult”. " The car was born on completely new bases compared to 2015. On paper, in terms of design and engineering, it seemed well designed, but on the track, certain data were not those expected. We are trying to tame the car to understand what needs to be improved in terms of performance. It's a difficult car. »