Kimi Raikkonen says stronger results with Alfa Romeo likely won’t impact if he stays in Formula 1 or not in 2022.
The Swiss-based team does appear to have made significant progress with this year’s car after both drivers comfortably made Q2 and finished just outside the points in P11 and P12 in Bahrain.
In fact, team boss Fred Vasseur thinks Alfa Romeo have a case to be F1’s most improved team this year.
“We had a solid start of the season and that’s a good basis upon which to build, starting from this weekend,” he commented ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
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“We have made a considerable step forward in performance, possibly one of the biggest across the field, and we are now in the midfield fight.
“But the top 10 is where you have to finish to bring home the points so that has to be our objective for Imola.”
While Raikkonen of course welcomes the chance to fight higher up the field, he concedes his focus, for now, is on continuing that progress.
“I doubt it is going to make any difference on what happens next year,” said the 2007 world champion.
“Obviously the better we can do the more fun it is not just for us as drivers but for the team and everybody is happier the better you do.
“Some years when you are not exactly where you want to be they are obviously long years and it is not as much fun and you can see it on everybody’s faces but we will keep working and improving and hopefully be up there where we want to be regularly challenging for the points.
“For sure, it is not going to be easy. Everybody wants to be there so we just need to keep working.”