Ferrari Is Closing Deal With Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen will be the new team member at Ferrari, starting 2008. It's not just anybody that states it, but the former champ of the Italian team, Niki Lauda. The next year's runner up in Formula One is, as Lauda is concerned, the best solution Ferrari can benefit from at the moment.

"Ferrari must have an alternative (to Schumacher) as a driver. The most logical one is Kimi...they cannot afford to wait until the end of the year. I think they must have fixed Kimi one way or another and if Michael continues, then Massa will be a test driver and if Michael does not continue, Massa will (alongside Raikkonen). And they will most certainly make a great team", said Lauda for Reuters.

He also warned Ferrari that, in case Schumacher decides to leave the Italian team at the end of the season, they will have to compete in the 2008 Championship with 2 inexperienced drivers: "If they wait to the end of the year and they have no driver signed up, they will race with (Brazilian Felipe) Massa and the test driver. I doubt they could win something".

The rumors about Kimi Raikkonen leaving McLaren Mercedes intensified after the Spanish GP the past weekend, when he could not reach the top 3 positions, again. Unhappy with how the Mercedes cars are running and their performances on the track, Raikkonen stated that he needs a car that could help him fight for the Formula One crown. Ron Dennis, McLaren boss, did not deny that the young Finn want to leave the team.

"I'm absolutely sure the right thing for any driver to do is always stay in one team. History shows that. But of course that's not always the opinion that a driver has", said Dennis.