Kimi Raikkonen will need to prove in 2015 that he deserves another year at Ferrari.
That is the warning of new Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene, following recent reports that the Finnish driver wants to stay at Maranello not only next year but perhaps also in 2016.
35-year-old Raikkonen, however, struggled notably on his return to the Maranello team from Lotus this season, with a points haul one third the size of Fernando Alonso’s and not a single podium appearance.
"Last season was difficult for Kimi," Arrivabene is quoted by Finland’s Turun Sanomat newspaper, "but that does not mean that he has lost his speed.
"He is a former world champion, and more importantly he won the title driving a Ferrari.
"I want to emphasise that next season Kimi needs the time to show that he is capable, and after that it will be possible to make a decision about the future."
Raikkonen’s teammate in 2015 will be his friend Sebastian Vettel, F1’s quadruple consecutive world champion for Red Bull between 2010 and 2013.
"For sure," Arrivabene insisted, "drivers are not a problem for us."