Possible Replacements for Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari

Kimi Raikkonen’s 3 year contract at Ferrari is set to expire at the conclusion of the season. The Finn has endured a much better time with Sebastian Vettel as his partner, reaching the podium a few times as he supported his teammate in his quest to win the World Championship. With no clear indication if the team will be offering Raikkonen an extension, there have been various drivers linked to the second seat at Ferrari. This could be the start of a reshuffling of the grid for 2017.

Let us take a look at the possible candidates that might be joining Sebastian Vettel next season.

6. Sergio Perez

A former Ferrari driver academy member.

Perez was one of the earliest members of Ferrari’s driver academy, and the first to make the jump to Formula One with Sauber. However, he was removed from this academy when he signed for McLaren in 2013.

So far, Perez has shown some degree of consistency, but also his pace. He has got an unlikely car in the Force India, onto the podium twice with the team. This could position himself as an unlikely candidate to Ferrari, but he is familiar with the team to a degree. His pace and aggressiveness, are known to all. He seems to be more controlled in his approach now.

As Force India has only Hulkenberg signed on for 2017 for now, it’s not out of the table that Perez could make the jump to Ferrari.

5. Romain Grosjean

After 4 seasons with Lotus (now Renault), Romain Grosjean has finally moved on.

Grosjean is now part of Haas F1, a new comer to the F1 grid. In the 2012-13 season, he was one of the better drivers on the grid, consistently challenging for the podium places. However, there was a downturn since 2014, as Lotus struggled with the hybrid rules. Yet, he was able to push the car to the limits, and a crowning moment was a 3 place finish at the 2015 Belgian Grand Prix.

Haas F1, which has a close tie up with their engine supplier Ferrari, could be an ideal proving grounds for drivers that might interest Ferrari.

In his 4 races with the new team, Grosjean had strong performances at Australia and Bahrain and was once again among the points at Russia. While the team is still getting accustomed to the F1 world, Grosjean is showing the potential of the team and his as well. If  it’s a strong year, Ferrari might be more than tempted to have him as their second driver, as he is a proven podium finisher.

4. Daniil Kyvat

What a turn of events.

Debuting in Toro Rosso in 2014, consistent performances for the Italian outfit saw Kyvat get promoted to the Red Bull team, following the departure of Sebastian Vettel. In 2015, Red Bull had a season to forget, but Daniil Kvyat outscored the established Red Bull driver in Daniel Riccardo by 3 points.  His best performance was a 2 place at Hungary, and was overall, a strong and consistent point finisher, in what was overall a dismal season for Red Bull Racing.

Things took a change in 2016. After a podium at Shanghai (where he also forced the two Ferraris to collide), he bumped into Vettel twice in the Russian Grand Prix, eliminating the German. An internal decision by the team saw him return to Toro Rosso for the season, replaced by Max Verstappen. This might be a blow to him personally, but shows Red Bull’s long term desire to keep Max with the team.

In his 2 complete seasons till date, he has shown his consistency and ability to finish well in the points. While he might still be retained within the Red Bull driving line ups if he finishes well, other teams might be more than interested in signing him up, as he is bound to be dissatisfied now.

3. Nico Rosberg

If this happens, Ferrari have a 2017 line up with 2 German Drivers with a combined total of 60+ race wins.

Rosberg has been part of Mercedes since 2010 and has been part of the resurgence. Since 2014, he has only been surpassed by his teammate, Lewis Hamilton. After finishing runners up in 2014 and 15, Nico has been in fine form in 2016 as his teammate struggled.

However, he has had a turbulant relationship with his teammate Lewis Hamilton. On numerous times, they have clashed with each other and strained their relationship. The 2016 Spanish Grandprix has been one such incident. A crash that knocked both Silver Arrows out of the race, has seen the blame been pinned on Rosberg and Hamitlon. Officially, no action has been taken by the FIA and the team.

Rosberg is not yet officially tied down to Mercedes in 2017, and with Wolff suggesting they might look at Fernando Alonso, it’s not out of the question that Nico would be interested in a move to Ferrari. Rumours indicate he has already made contact, and might set to partner Sebastian if the Italian team does not renew Kimi’s contract.

2. Kimi Raikokknen

Another option is to give an extension to Raikkonen himself and retain this strong partnership that’s been forged. The biggest advantage is that Kimi and Vettel are very good friends off the track, and that can foster harmony and co-operation between the two in the garage.

Since his second stint, Raikkonen’s form dramatically improved over 2015. 5 podiums and 8 other finishes in the top 5, have seen the Finn prove he still has the drive. The reliability of the Ferrari engines have sometimes cost him (twice in Australia) but overall, he is still capable of challenging for the top step of the podiums. He would finish 4 in the Drivers Championship in 2015. As of Round 4 of the 2016 season, he leads his teammate (who has had 2 DNFs).

The biggest negative factor is possibly his age. With Raikkonen turning 37 at the end of the year, Ferrari may not place a long term deal in front of their former Champion. But a one or two year deal is not out of the question. Kimi, who has admitted his future is not in his own hands, has shown his inclination to continue in the sport.

His strong performances so far this season, make a good claim for that.

1. Valtteri Bottas

A Finn for a Finn.

Over the last couple of seasons, Bottas has proven to be a very strong driver. 2014 was the year he announced himself to the world with a string of sold performances, including 6 podium places as Williams found new life in the hybrid era. His best run in 2014, was between the Austrian and Belgian Grand Prix, when he was on the podium 4 times in 5 races. Bottas would finish 4 in the Drivers Championship in 2014.

While 2015, was not as successful, Bottas nonetheless finished on the podium twice. Bottas impressed with finishing 9 other races in the top 5 places.

Bottas has started 2016 slowly, but a 4 place at the Russian Grand Prix has shown what he can do. His biggest drawback is his inability to dominate his teammate in qualifying, but his record shows that he has always outscored his teammate in the 3 seasons he has competed in. While linked to the seat last year, Bottas could very well be Ferrari’s number one option.