Ferrari will wait to reconsider Räikkönen’s future

Ferrari does not want to start talking about a new contract and therefore negotiations with Kimi Räikkönen. The Scuderia prefers that the Finn focuses for now on achieving his second world title in 2008.

Räikkönen has a contract with Ferrari until the end of 2009 and, although the team admits it wants to extend this agreement, it has made it clear that it does not wish to start any negotiations.

The Team Principal Stefano Domenicali said in Italy this Wednesday: « We have a contract for 2008 and 2009, and we are entirely satisfied with how Kimi is performing, especially in his integration within the team. »

« Nothing prevents us from looking to the future and seeing what Kimi will do beyond his first formal contract, but we will address that at the right time. For now, Kimi must focus on this year. »

Although Ferrari found itself at the center of speculation last year predicting the imminent arrival of Fernando Alonso, Domenicali stated that for the moment, the team was not looking for any driver other than Räikkönen and Felipe Massa.

« Alonso and Ferrari? A lot of speculation has been made on the subject, but we have two good drivers, and they are our official pilots, » he said.

« We really trust them and are convinced that they will be the right drivers for our team. They have a genuine relationship with each other and with the team, they demonstrate great professionalism. »

« This driver (Alonso) is a question that, for the moment, we will not examine. We will see what happens in the future. »

Domenicali also confirmed that Räikkönen, even with his status as a world champion, will not start the season as the number one driver in the team’s eyes.

« We have our drivers starting the new season on an equal footing. They will each play their own chances of victory, and there is no change from this perspective. They are both on the same level playing field, » concluded the new sporting director of Ferrari.