Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 2019 Contract Announcement Imminent: Report

Ferrari are being tipped to be the next team on the Formula 1 grid set to announce their driver lineup for the 2019 season with Mercedes, Renault and Red Bull Racing the only other teams having confirmed thus far.

The Silver Arrows team retained their current lineup of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas for at least one more season, while Renault and Red Bull Racing have undergone major changes. Daniel Ricciardo decided to reject the offer from the latter and join Renault, while Pierre Gasly has been promoted to Red Bull from sister team Toro Rosso.

Ferrari, according to Italian publication Il Corriere Della Sera, via F1i, will go on the Mercedes route and retain their driver pairing by handing Kimi Raikkonen a new deal. Sebastian Vettel is already contracted to the Italian team until the end of the 2020 season.

The report claims the deal between the Finnish racer and Ferrari is done and dusted with an announcement expected either at this week’s Belgian Grand Prix or in the forthcoming Italian Grand Prix the following weekend.

It was initially expected that Raikkonen will not be handed a new deal by Ferrari, with former CEO Sergio Marchionne pushing for young Ferrari academy driver Charles Leclerc to be promoted as Vettel’s teammate in 2019. However, after Marchionne’s sudden unexpected death in July, the team has reevaluated their options.

The Monegasque driver has impressed in his debut season in F1 with the Sauber team — dragging the tail-enders to five points scoring finishes and top 10 qualifying positions on more than one occasion. However, Vettel is in favor of retaining Raikkonen, who he shares a good relationship on and off track, after admitting that Leclerc might be a tad inexperienced to make the jump in 2019.

Raikkonen, 38, also made a case for him to be retained by finishing on the podium in the last five races, and continually stating his desire to remain with the team for at least one more season. He recently revealed he was still clueless about his future in F1 and asked for clarity from Ferrari not only for his but also for his family’s sake.

Leclerc, meanwhile, is set to get an upgrade for his performances in his debut campaign, with the Italian publication reporting that the Monegasque driver will move from Sauber to Haas Racing, which is another Ferrari powered car.

The American owned team has shown this season they are among the best of the midfield runners behind the top three teams — Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. And Romain Grosjean, who has been with the team since their inception, is expected to make way after poor performances this season despite having a car capable of consistently challenging for a place in the top 10.