Lewis Hamilton has questioned Ferrari’s decision to axe Kimi Raikkonen.
The Finn and 2007 world champion is keeping his F1 career alive at Sauber for the next two years, but Hamilton thinks Ferrari is making a mistake in letting him go.
In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Blick, Hamilton was asked if Raikkonen’s impending departure from Ferrari might help his quest to win a fifth title this year.
He answered: "I don’t think Kimi is going to change in the last races.
"He is an extraordinary professional and a fantastic driver," said the Mercedes driver. "He remains one of my favourite drivers, and I’m convinced that Ferrari is losing a very important driver.
"It does not make sense to me," Hamilton admitted.
He said that if his own boss made a decision like Ferrari’s, he would not be shy to let Toto Wolff know what he thinks.
"The trust is there between us," Hamilton said of Wolff. "If Toto came up with a crazy idea we’d definitely discuss it. I’d say ’Toto, are you sure?’"
Hamilton also said he hopes Red Bull is strong next year after its switch to Honda power.
"We need a third strong team," he said. "Otherwise it’s boring — I want to have more of these guys to beat.
"Red Bull has been building a great car for years, but I often wonder if the management there is always making the right decisions."