Leclerc and Raikkonen to swap seats? (7th Update)

Raikkonen and Leclerc swap seats

UPDATE This rumor is upgraded to 'fact' with today's announcement.

09/05/18 Reports in Italian media say that Kimi Raikkonen has already been told that he will not be retained by Ferrari for another season.

That's despite his success winning pole position for the team at their home race in Monza last weekend. He went on to finish in second place in the Italian Grand Prix behind race winner Lewis Hamilton.

But according to Corriere dello Sport that's not been enough to save the Finn's place in Maranello.

The newspaper reports that new Ferrari chairman John Elkann has already been in touch with Raikkonen to tell him that the team is letting him go.

Leclerc contract conundrum could force Ferrari to ditch Raikkonen
Sky Italia adds that a meeting had been scheduled at the team's headquarters for Thursday at which the news will be formally announced to the media.

However, fellow Finn Mika Salo – himself a former Ferrari driver – cannot understand why Raikkonen did not immediately make the news public if Elkann told him at Monza.

"I would have expected Kimi to say it himself after Monza, but it didn't happen," Salo told Iltalehti.

It emerged at the weekend that former Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne could have already contractually committed the team to running Charles Leclerc in 2019, forcing the current management's hand over Raikkonen.

The reports hint that Raikkonen's awareness of his impending departure could have been a factor in how Sunday's race turned out.

Sebastian Vettel was clearly unhappy when Raikkonen was able to slipstream his team mate to win pole, instead of helping Vettel in his title battle with Hamilton.

The outcome left Vettel starting from second on the grid, and he then clashed with Hamilton at the della Roggia chicane. After spinning out he recovered from the back of the field to finish in fourth, but it still cost him precious points in the drivers championship.

The chain of events might have damaged the previously close working relationship between Vettel and Raikkonen.

"It is clear to me that I must now compete against three cars, including my own teammate," the Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport quoted Vettel as saying.

The German ruefully added: "I do not expect any help from anyone."

If Raikkonen does depart Ferrari after a total of eight seasons at the Scuderia, including his title winning campaign in 2007, it's unclear whether he would want to stay in Formula 1.

With most of the top teams already settled, only a seat at a team such as Sauber would be available which is unlikely to appeal to the 38-year-old, who is already the oldest driver on the grid.

His pole at Monza made him the oldest man to start from the top spot since Nigel Mansell in 1994 in Australia.

The last time he was let go by Ferrari in 2009, Raikkonen ended up taking a sabbatical from F1 and competed instead in the World Rally Championship as well as a couple of guest drives in the NASCAR series in the US.

09/02/18 Kimi Raikkonen mysteriously suggested that his options for 2019 in Formula 1 remain open after the Italian Grand Prix was played out against a backdrop of renewed reports that he will lose his Ferrari seat to Scuderia junior Charles Leclerc next season.

“There’s always going to be options," he said.

“In life generally. It depends on what you want to do. It depends on a lot of things.

“So, we’ll see in the future what will happen and that’s about it."

08/22/18 This rumor is downgraded to 'speculation' today.

(GMM) Ferrari is poised to announce the identity of Sebastian Vettel's teammate for 2019.

Although Charles Leclerc was favorite prior to the death of president Sergio Marchionne, Corriere della Sera now says Kimi Raikkonen is definitely staying.

The report says the news will be announced either at Spa or next weekend at Monza.

Corriere della Sera claims Ferrari junior Leclerc, 20, will instead move from one Ferrari-powered customer, Sauber, to Haas next year.

He will replace Romain Grosjean, the Italian newspaper added.

07/21/18 (GMM) Frederic Vasseur is not denying speculation Kimi Raikkonen could switch to Sauber for 2019.

The Swiss team's boss was also asked by a reporter about a rumor linking Sergio Perez to Sauber.

"It's very nice that the team attracts strong drivers," said Vasseur. "This allows us to choose rather than wait for the decision of other teams."

Asked if he has Raikkonen's phone number, he laughed: "I have every driver's number!"

Raikkonen, now 38, started his career with Sauber in 2001.

"We will discuss the issue with Ferrari and then we will make a decision," said the Sauber chief.

"For Alfa Romeo it is important that the team achieve good results, so we need to find two drivers that are suited for our future."

Raikkonen himself said at Hockenheim that he is hoping for certainty as soon as possible.

"Knowing what I am doing is important in many ways, and not just for me. My family also wants clarity," said the Finn.

"So I hope that we will have a decision soon. But as I said, you have to ask the team."

Charles Leclerc

06/30/18 (GMM) Charles Leclerc has put pen to paper on a two-year Ferrari deal.

That is the claim of La Gazzetta dello Sport, the authoritative Italian sports daily with sources close to the Maranello team.

The newspaper claims Leclerc, who currently drives for Sauber, will earn EUR 2 million next year, rising to 3m in 2020.

An announcement is tipped to be made between the Belgian and Italian grands prix at the end of August.

Reigning GP2 champion Leclerc, 20, will replace Kimi Raikkonen and therefore become Sebastian Vettel's new teammate.

Another rumor is that the Ferrari 'academy' driver will even start at Ferrari early, ousting Raikkonen before the end of the season.

"We have a contract with Charles until the end of the season and have not talked about the future yet," Sauber team boss Frederic Vasseur said in Austria.

"I can understand the rumors in the press, but they have nothing to do with reality."

Leclerc to start 8th Sunday

06/24/18 (GMM) Charles Leclerc seems destined to move into a Ferrari seat for 2019.

Speculation is now rife that the Italian team intends to part with 38-year-old Kimi Raikkonen at the end of the year and call up its junior driver from Sauber.

At Paul Ricard, the highly rated rookie Leclerc, 20, qualified eighth in his Sauber, just two places behind Raikkonen.

"I cannot find words," the Monaco-born driver told Sky Italia.

"It was like starting from scratch because we totally changed the car. I knew what I wanted and the engineers understood what I needed.

An elated Sauber crew greets Leclerc after qualifying

"I cannot believe this eighth place, it's magical," Leclerc added.

As for the rumors of a 2019 Ferrari seat, he said only: "I am focused only on now, but I am inspired by Sebastian (Vettel)."

Finn Raikkonen is also being coy amid the speculation.

"There is always a lot of talk every year, and now it's happening again," he said.

"You'd have to ask those people who write these things. It's not really my concern," Raikkonen added.

06/21/18 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen has not denied the latest rumors about his future.

Recently, the Finn was linked with a full-time move to rallying for 2019.

Now, the rumor in the Paul Ricard paddock is that Ferrari is moving towards replacing him with junior driver Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc's current boss, Sauber chief Frederic Vasseur, told Blick newspaper: "We have to expect that Charles doesn't drive for us for long.

"That's why we enjoy every good result with him."

Raikkonen, 38, responded to the rumors: "Nothing has changed since Canada."

But, like Fernando Alonso, the 2007 world champion indicated that is no longer as in love with formula one as he used to be.

"It's always more fun for everyone if we're racing properly," he said in Paul Ricard.

"If you have races like Monaco, when everyone is trying only 80 per cent and they all follow one another, that's not very exciting for the fans or us as drivers.

"Over the years, we have changed the rules over and over but it didn't do anything," Raikkonen added.