Inside Line: Leclerc may oust Raikkonen from Ferrari

Until Ferrari make anything official there are two schools of thoughts regarding their driver line-up, the first has been bubbling in certain elements within Italian media regarding reports suggesting that 38-year-old Raikkonen is on the verge of having his contract extended until the end of 2020 with the Maranello outfit.

Predictions by Italian media are that Ferrari would use the occasion of their home race, as they have done traditionally in the past, to announce Raikkonen's extension deal. We wait and watch on race day at Monza.

That was the one theory...

Now, a second scenario is being reported by Auto Motor und Sport revealing that Raikkonen would have been out the door at the end of this season had the late Sergio Marchionne had his way.

The former Ferrari president was a big fan of young Charles Leclerc who was placed in the Alfa-Romeo backed Sauber team on the behest of Marchionne. An agreement is said to have been made, before he passed away, to replace Raikkonen with the Monegasque rookie next season.

Visiting the F1 paddock for the first time in his new capacity as Ferrari chief Louis Camilleri confirmed that no driver decision has been made as yet, "I know Kimi very well, he’s a dear friend, has been for a long time, but nothing has been decided yet and there is no timeline."

At the same time, the new chief at Maranello insisted that the decision will be made by his team principal Maurizio Arrivabene and insisted that there was no deadline set.

However, talk in the paddock is that the deal is already done with Leclerc, no matter what Raikkonen is out. Notably the 21-year-old is managed by Nicholas Todt the son of FIA president and former Ferrari team chief Jean Todt, both at Monza this weekend.

Amid this most in the team are keen to retain Raikkonen for another year before promoting Leclerc, but the pre-agreement with the youngster may scupper their wishes.

Chopping Raikkonen would be a blow for the veteran who is the last Ferrari world champion thanks to his title in 2007, he has been with the Italian team eight years from 2007 to 2009 and 2014 to 2018, he has played the role of Sebastian Vettel's wingman when called to do so and now with a stunning pole for the Italian Grand Prix (his last?) proved to be the fastest driver in Formula 1!

The Iceman has the speed, the experience and the loyalty to keep the status quo within the team as they enter their best phase of performance in this hybrid turbo era.

Leclerc in red will be another matter altogether, young and eager to prove himself against Vettel, the entire dynamic of the team will change dramatically. These are realities that will surely play on the minds of the decision makers as they map the future of the sport's most famous team.

Furthermore, the youngster ticks all the boxes as he is considered one of the most promising up-and-coming talents currently in Formula 1, he has already amassed 13 points for Sauber in his rookie season, the highlight his sixth place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Vettel versus Leclerc will be a compelling contest.

Should it happen, Raikkonen's retirement will mark the end of an era in which the biggest F1 superstars of the past 15 years, like the Iceman and Fernando Alonso, leave the top flight and make way for the young guns on the fringes of the big time.

No matter how you look it, if Kimi can turn pole today into victory in front of the

Tifosi at Monza - and everything it means to win at home for the Scuderia - could you imagine him not getting the nod for 2019? I can't.