As the sport of Formula One returns from the summer break period, Ferrari has sparked the Formula One world back to life. The Italian team has announced their plans for the Finnish driver, Kimi Räikkönen. He will remain with the “Prancing Horse” for another season, as the team closes a contract extension today.
“What can I say… for me, to be able to stay another year at Ferrari means that the dream goes on,” Räikkönen told the team website. “The Scuderia is my family, as I always said, it’s here I want to end my career. I am more committed than ever and I want to say thank you to the people who gave me this chance. Also, a big thank you goes to all my Ferrari fans, for their continuous support.”
At the age of 35, it was rumored that Räikkönen would be retiring when his contract ended at the end of the season. Williams driver, Valtteri Bottas, was rumored to be replacing the “Iceman”, alongside Sebastian Vettel. The Italian media even released articles that stated a contract agreement had been reached between Bottas and Ferrari.
The contract extension is only for one season, meaning that it will expire at the end of the 2016 season. Although it is still early, it has been assumed that 2016 will be the legend’s last season in Formula One. With Räikkönen being 35 years old and the average retirement age for a Formula One driver being in the mid-thirties, it’s realistic that he will be hanging up the gloves when his contract is over.
It will be great to see Räikkönen back at Ferrari for one final season. This will give him a chance to redeem himself for some of the issues in 2015. The fans of Formula One have been debating about whether Räikkönen should just pack it up now because his driving abilities seem to be declining. But hey… just leave him alone… he knows what he’s doing!
