Ferrari insist Kimi stay dependent on results

Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene insists Kimi Raikkonen will be awarded a new contract if he delivers results.

The Finn's current deal with the Scuderia expires at the end of the 2015 season, and having failed to make a big impact since his return to Ferrari in 2014, there have been suggestions that Raikkonen's time with the team may soon be up.

The 35-year-old has stated his desire to remain with Ferrari, and it is not out of the question that the 2007 World Champion will be offered a new contract – if he performs well enough.

Raikkonen has managed just one podium finish thus far this season, while team-mate Sebastian Vettel claimed victory in Malaysia in addition to four further podium places.

However, despite Raikkonen not matching Vettal at the moment, Arrivabene has not ruled out retaining him alongside the German.

"As I said: that’s dependent on the results. If he is achieving the objective that I gave to him – why not?" Arrivabene told the official Formula 1 website.

When asked what those objectives were, Arrivabene replied: "A good performance. To add points to the team tally. 

"I am working for a team with a strong tradition and Enzo Ferrari dictated this tradition. For Enzo Ferrari the Constructors’ Championship was always of greater value than the drivers’ title. So for us the Constructors’ Championship is very important. To win this title you need both drivers delivering. 

"I talked with Kimi straightforwardly, and he knows very well: the more points he can deliver, the better his chances to stay!"

The position appears to be Raikkonen's to lose, with Arrivabene revealing that the team are currently not considering any other drivers.

"I am concentrating on our two guys right now and I know very well that if needed you can have a driver that is ready to jump in a Ferrari any minute. That is not a problem. The problem is to work with the driver that we have and make sure that he is giving us the best performance," he explained.