Lewis Hamilton believes Kimi Raikkonen would be missed by Formula 1 when he finally retires from the sport.

During the Italian GP weekend, that possibility does seem to have increased with the news former Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne had signed Charles Leclerc to a race seat contract for next season.

More recently it has been suggested some compensation could be given to the Monegasque to delay his promotion until 2020, but whenever that day comes, Hamilton does think it would be a sad day for F1.

“Would I miss Kimi? I think it’s always a difficult question to say if you miss someone,” he said. “I think the sport would naturally miss him, yeah.

“I made it no secret that before I even got to F1 I was always playing the PlayStation and I was always Kimi in the McLaren, imagining that was me.

“And then I remember the first car [I drove] at McLaren which was Kimi’s set-up and the suspension that he would use, which was… I remember it like it was yesterday.

“It was an amazing experience and it was cool because I think our driving style was kind of similar, which meant that I ended up being quite comfortable with the set-up that he used back then."

Raikkonen's nonchalant attitude is what has endeared him to many fans and even today he remains one of the most popular drivers on the grid, with the four-time world champion also full of respect for the 38-year-old.

“He’s had an incredible career and it’s been a real honour to race against a great Finn such as him – but he looks like he’s just ice-cold," Hamilton said.

“He’s just got plenty of years left in him. He’s not seeming to age. I don’t know what it is about Finnish people. I think it’s the sauna and the ice thing.”