JULY 31, 2015

Ferrari tipped to keep Raikkonen, Allison

Ferrari may issue a surprise at Monza in September by keeping its full team together for 2016.

Ferrari may issue a surprise at Monza in September by keeping its full team together for 2016.

Amid raging speculation about Kimi Raikkonen's future, the Italian publication Motorionline claims the Finn might actually be about to get his contract extended.

It has been said Williams has already agreed a lucrative deal to release Valtteri Bottas to the Maranello team, but the young Finn is playing that down.

"Obviously there have been some annoying rumours," Bottas said at an event for Williams sponsor Sure this week. "Those are not true and they are not fair for Williams and not fair for Kimi.

"Before there are any facts we just need to wait and see what happens," he added.

The latest report, by Italy's Motorionline, suggests that Ferrari may be planning not only to announce a new deal for Raikkonen at Monza, but also a contract extension for technical boss James Allison.

It had been rumoured Briton Allison could be made the scapegoat of Ferrari's mid-season development slump.

But amid that talk, Sebastian Vettel recorded his second win of the season in Hungary and so "That's why I sent him (Allison) onto the podium," team boss Maurizio Arrivabene told Germany's Sport Bild.

And also performing strongly in Hungary, until his technical problem, was the under-fire Raikkonen.

Arrivabene was quoted by El Confidencial: "I'm really disappointed because, if I am honest, Kimi was really great."

(GMM)