Kimi Raikkonen should not be regarded as number two at Ferrari, but the question remains: can he beat teammate Sebastian Vettel.
Former Ferrari driver Mika Salo, who nonetheless admitted that Raikkonen has a tough challenge ahead of him to return to his title-winning days, believes that the 2007 Formula 1 world champion can come on top at Maranello.
"I do not see Kimi as the second driver," Salo told MTV. "But if he wants the championship, first he has to beat Vettel. Then we will see if it is enough."
Asked if he thinks 2016 will be 36-year-old Raikkonen's last F1 campaign, former Toyota and Sauber driver Salo answered: "It's hard to say."
"But I do think Ferrari was clever in keeping both drivers this season, because continuity is important. As it's also good that the drivers get on well with each other."
What Raikkonen does need to improve, Salo acknowledged, is qualifying, "Kimi has always been good with race pace, but when he is 5 or 6 places behind his teammate it's pretty hard to have a good race anyway."
Another former Ferrari driver, Jean Alesi, agrees with Salo that the Maranello team did the right thing in re-signing Raikkonen for 2016.
"I think it's better to have him around instead of a youngster like Max Verstappen who would put their own ambitions ahead of the team," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Last year Raikkonen told media, "The team gives me and Sebastian the same chances and obviously we try to beat each other for the Drivers’ championship, but in a good and fair way, in the interest of the team."
When the Finn was under pressure last year his manager Steve Robertson was adamant, "I strongly believe that Kimi and Sebastian are very close to having the same level of performance."
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