Ferrari didn't keep Kimi when things went well, this year and in the past, no wonder they won't renew his contract now. It' s just sad he can't leave F1 with good results but like a common unknown driver. Anyway, if it's not this year it would have been the next. We have to accept the truth and enjoy the more we can of these last moments and memories.
I'm pretty sure that the story from Corriere dello Sport is not true and there is no deal with Bottas. Several others, Finnish media, BBC, Sky UK all write their sources say there is no deal yet. It's possible it will happen but it's not done. And maybe it never will be. There sure have been talks and negotiations but that itself doesn't have to mean anything. You can say why would Ferrari do that if they want to keep Kimi but I guess it's just normal that they look at alternatives too. I think it's still not decided.
Of course Kimi has to retire at one point and not long ago we thought he would after this year but now that he wishes to continue I wouldn't want him to stop like that..
quoteKimi Raikkonen as fast as F1 team-mate Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari By Ian Parkes Wednesday, July 22nd 2015, 13:49 GMT
Kimi Raikkonen is as fast as Ferrari Formula 1 team-mate Sebastian Vettel but the German makes fewer mistakes, according to the team's technical director James Allison.
Allison can only recall Vettel making one error this season, when he ran wide at the final corner on lap 36 of the Bahrain Grand Prix, damaging his front wing and forcing an unscheduled stop.
Raikkonen has had a tougher time of things, particularly in qualifying, resulting in the fact he is 59 points adrift of Vettel heading into this weekend's race in Hungary.
Ferrari has sympathy for Raikkonen
Asked by Italian publication Autosprint to assess Raikkonen's season, Allison said: "There's no speed difference between he and Sebastian.
"Sometimes Kimi is quicker, other times it's Seb.
"The difference is Sebastian never, or almost never, makes mistakes.
"This year only in Bahrain have we seen after all, that he can make mistakes.
"But besides that weekend, he has practically never made any errors. Kimi instead, especially in qualifying, has had a few more slip-ups.
"I'd say the same thing if Kimi was here, and I think he would accept it.
"Sometimes you just need a small mistake to ruin a weekend, but the speed is there. Kimi knows that too."
Vettel hopes Ferrari keeps Raikkonen
Allison is also convinced Ferrari can again close the gap to Mercedes after falling away of late to undermine the positive start made to the year, with the highlight being Vettel's victory in the second race in Malaysia. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, Malaysian GP 2015, Melbourne
He has suggested that success "perhaps" came too soon and raised expectations but he has no doubt Ferrari will rediscover its form.
"You certainly can't refuse a victory when it comes," added Allison.
"The Malaysian Grand Prix was an incredible day, getting back to winning ways has given us a great push, and now I can't wait to re-live it again.
"If I look at what we have done since the beginning of the season, I see our work has produced good results.
"We have improved by 1.5 seconds per lap thanks to the development done on both the car and the power unit.
"If I have to bet on what's going to happen in the second half of the season, then I believe we'll reduce our gap to Mercedes and that we'll do better than Williams."
I think one reason Ferrari made a new contract with Kimi is that he get so well along with Seb.
quoteF1 » Vettel not expecting priority Ferrari status 29 August 2015
Sebastian Vettel says his stronger performances in 2015 shouldn't mean he gets preferential treatment from the Ferrari team.
Vettel not expecting priority Ferrari status Sebastian Vettel says it is not worth Ferrari prioritising him over Kimi Raikkonen in the team unless he is in clear contention for the world title.
The German got the gap down to leader Lewis Hamilton to 42 points following his second win of the season in Hungary, though this has now swelled to 67 points on the back of his failure to score last time out in Belgium.
Despite this, Vettel never felt as though he was a clear contender for the title and unless he is, Ferrari shouldn't 'worry' about channelling its resources to him over the newly re-signed Raikkonen, despite the substantial 78 point gap between them.
“If you make a new part, you do it two times at least, that's the way it has to be. I think if you're racing for the championship and at some point later in the season it is clear that only one car is racing for the championship, then it is clear what you have to do.
“Where we are now, if you look at also the gap that I mentioned, the best thing we can do is to go racing, try to win and worry about ourselves and not look at others too much.”
quoteVettel "helping stabilise" Ferrari - Arrivabene
By: Jonathan Noble, Formula 1 Editor Yesterday at 3:24pm
Sebastian Vettel has delivered not only impressive speed for Ferrari but has helped calm its political situation behind the scenes, says his team boss Maurizio Arrivabene.
The four-time world champion has put Ferrari back in the winner's circle this year with victories at both the Malaysian and Hungarian Grands Prix.
But it is not just the on-track triumph that has left Arrivabene a happy man, because the way that Vettel's personality has impacted on the staff back at the factory has been just as vital.
"The team is getting on very well together," explained Arrivabene. "He [Vettel] brought to the team a lot of enthusiasm.
"Many times he has helped me to make sure that we are getting together and, most importantly, he is co-operating very well with his teammate.
"This is the reason why, when I was explaining of the confirmation of Kimi [Raikkonen for 2016], that we are looking at the moment of the stability of the team.
"Seb is a fantastic champion but is also a person who is helping to stabilise the team together with Kimi. And is helping a lot for all of us to do that together.
"You saw after the race [in Italy]. You look at Seb. He is always smiling and positive and then I become a bit more flexible when I have to complain."
No Alonso comparison
Although Vettel's infectious positivity is in contrast to the way Fernando Alonso's final spell at the team appeared to pan out, Arrivabene declined to compare them.
"For sure I don't want to talk about Fernando," he said. "I met Fernando when I was not doing this job and we have a good relationship.
"I don't want to talk about him. I talk [only] about my drivers and I am perfectly fine with them."