Ferrari want to re-hire Kimi Raikkonen, says Mark Hughes

Kimi Raikkonen might pair-up with Fernando Alonso to join Ferrari next season

Sky Sports’ Formula One journalist Mark Hughes reports that Ferrari would consider re-hiring Kimi Raikkonen for 2014. Raikkonen might replace his former team-mate Felipe Massa in the upcoming F1 season.

Hughes said: “Ferrari have told me that Kimi is very much their target. Reading between the lines of what they’re saying, if they don’t get him they will retain Massa.”

Raikkonen would be out of contract for 2014. He was the last driver to win the World Championship for Ferrari. Kimi made an impressive F1 comeback after returning to the sport last year with Lotus.

Alonso would love to pair up with Raikkonen, said Hughes. Hughes had complimented the ace driver as ‘apolitical’ and further said that Alonso would not face any problem pairing up with the Finnish driver.

Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, Paul di Resta of Force India and Marussia youngster Jules Bianchi have also been earmarked as potential replacements for Massa as per Hughes.

Hughes was further quoted: “The idea of a di Resta or Bianchi seems to now be off the menu.

“But Ferrari is definitely interested in following Bianchi’s progress and we may well see him in a Ferrari-assisted drive a little further up the grid, which would obviously mean Sauber.”

Raikkonen, too, spoke on the potential move. He said: “I never had anything against anybody and always certain things can be different to how they were in the past.”

Ferrari gave Raikkonen a £20 million pay-off to leave Ferrari four years ago with a year still to run on his contract. But they repeatedly insisted the manner of his departure shouldn’t be a barrier against him making a return to the team.