Kimi’s Curtain Call?

‘The Ice Man’ could be in very hot water indeed with regard to his Formula One career

Kimi Raikkonen can certainly be considered as one of Formula One’s more eccentric drivers. The 2007 World Champion is a man of few words, his frosty persona and reluctance to give interviews have combined to nickname him ‘The Ice Man’. However, it appears as though ‘The Ice Man’ could be in very hot water indeed with regard to his Formula One career. Since rejoining Formula One in 2012 with Lotus, formerly Renault, he has finished on the podium an impressive sixteen times. The Finn even managed to secure two race victories along the way. The problem Kimi faces is his poor form of the past two seasons. Since his return to Ferrari at the start of the 2014 season, Kimi has finished on the podium only once, placing second at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2015 with an impressive drive.

Some regular Kimi antics.

 Ferrari meanwhile, are a team transformed. The Italian outfit seems to have galvanised since the arrival of Sebastian Vettel and the appointment of Maurizio Arrivabene as team principal. As such, Ferrari is now a formidable package. Unfortunately for Raikkonen this amounts to added pressure due to an expectation to challenge for not only podiums but also race wins. Indeed, Vettel has demonstrated that the SF15-T is a car that is capable of winning races. When one compares the true potential of the SF15-T with Raikkonen’s race finishes in the 2015 season it’s easy to see why the Finn has cause for concern.

Quite astonishingly, Sebastian Vettel hasn’t finished lower than 5^th all season long. Moreover, he has amassed seven podiums including one win. In comparison, Raikkonen has had issues with car reliability, which is far from his fault. Worryingly, Kimi does not really look capable of the high calibre of racing that delivered him a World Championship. As such, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive as of late with regard to who might replace the Finn at Ferrari. The current paddock is brimming with young talent and unlike some recent years Arrivabene is spoiled for choice.

So who is the most likely driver to replace Kimi at Ferrari provided he is not offered a seat next season? All roads seem to lead to compatriot Valtteri Bottas. Bottas has enjoyed two successful seasons in a resurgent Mercedes powered Williams. Numerous hard earned podiums and expansive yet respectful wheel-to-wheel racing has seen Bottas’s stock soar whilst also attracting the attention of many of the most renowned teams in the sport. Lately, fuel has been added to the fire with the announcement that Ferrari may buy out the final year of Bottas’s contract from Williams and therefore make him free to sign for Scuderia Ferrari in 2016.

If Bottas does end up signing for Ferrari, the battle for number one driver at Ferrari against Sebastien Vettel will be a delectable prospect. It should be added too that leaving Ferrari would by no means spell the end of Raikkonen’s career. However, as a former World Champion and as a driver who has always been in a car worthy of challenging for at least podiums it is highly unlikely Kimi would accept a substantial drop down the grid.