After the Swiss team’s new deal with the Italian manufacturer, boss Fred Vasseur has a carte blanche to decide who he wants to have on the team in 2022.
But despite Raikkonen’s star attraction and Giovinazzi’s improved form, he didn’t reject the idea of looking elsewhere.
When asked at the British Grand Prix whether it was imperative to keep at least one driver in order to have some continuity, Vasseur said: “It could be a point, but it is not necessary.
“You can say that it is always good to have a kind of continuity in the team because you at least have a reference and can compare yourself with the feeling of the previous year and blah, blah. But let’s see.
“We will make the choice when the time is right. We could keep the same line-up or change, but it’s all open.
“I think it’s also very nice for the team to have everything open. It’s good for Antonio and good for Kimi. I don’t feel that being under pressure is inherently bad. I think we need pressure to perform and I don’t want an easy world. “
Vasseur confirmed that both drivers were out of contract at the end of this season and that there was no option on Raikkonen’s side for him to claim a seat for 2022.
“There is no option. No contract. That means it’s an open discussion, ”he said.
Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing C41
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
And while he says Giovinazzi’s strong form puts him in a good position to carry on, it was clear to Vasseur that he wanted to see more of the Italian.
“Antonio is definitely on the list,” he said. “He’s part of the family. He’s improving, he’s done a good job [at Silverstone] again, and he’ll be high on the list for next year.
“Now I want to see more improvements and more results in the race. Everyone is under pressure. I’m under pressure, the engineers are under pressure, the drivers have to be under pressure. It’s a world of pressure. “
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Vasseur added he was in no rush to make a decision and would wait for the top teams to agree on lineups before calling what he would do.
“We’ll see how the market develops,” he said. “I think that the system will occupy the top positions as usual. That means Mercedes has to make a decision and then Red Bull has to make a decision. Then, like a domino, we have some chances on the table at some point and make a decision at that point. “
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