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LONDON, England - Ferrari will take a 'holistic' view in deciding whether Kimi Raikkonen stays with its Formula 1 team for 2016.
That's according to team principal Maurizio Arrivabene, talking about the 2007 F1 Drivers' champion who crashed spectacularly in Sunday's (June 21) 2015 Austrian GP after losing control on the opening lap after starting 14th .
Ferrari has an option on Raikkonen, who will be out of contract at the end of 2015, but there has also been speculation that he could be replaced.
CONTRACT DEADLINE
Compatriot Valtteri Bottas, now at Williams, and Force India's Le Mans winner Nico Hulkenberg have each been touted as candidates.
Arrivabene told reporters that Ferrari had a deadline it was working towards and a decision would be taken at the "appropriate time for him (Raikkonen) and for us".
"I'm not going to tell you when the deadline is but it's an overall view that is conducting our decision..
"I am talking about performance. Performance means a kind of holistic approach. How is the feeling with the engineers, how is he working with the engineers, getting points, podiums, how quick...many, many things. It's too early to tell him something or to decide something."
'CARROT-AND-STICK' APPROACH
Arrivabene, who has suggested previously he would use a "carrot-and-stick" approach, said some might think he was too protective of Raikkonen but the season had not yet reached halfway.
Arrivabene said: "Try to be in my position and go to Kimi and say you are out or in. I want the guys to be concentrated on what they are doing today and to give us the maximum."
Ferrari is second overall in the teams championship after closing the performance gap to Mercedes this season.
Raikkonen was second in Bahrain; team mate and four-times champion Sebastian Vettel, brought in from Red Bull at the end of 2014, won in Malaysia.
'WRITE WHAT'S TRUE'
Raikkonen dismissed speculation about his future before the Austrian GP, responding angrily to speculation that he night have to take a pay cut to stay on.
He said: "You don't know the contract but you write stuff. You write stuff that's not true. Maybe you should start writing some things that make sense."
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2015 F1 season – fresh reports every week.
