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Boullier confident of Raikkonen stay

ESPN Staff
August 26, 2013 « Mercedes half a second off - Brawn | Hamilton not giving up on title despite Vettel's lead »
Kimi Raikkonen's future remains uncertain after Red Bull claimed it has yet to decide on its driver line-up for 2014 © Sutton Images
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Lotus team principal Eric Boullier is confident of keeping hold of Kimi Raikkonen because "he loves the team".

Raikkonen's future has been at the centre of speculation since the British Grand Prix when Mark Webber announced he would be leaving Red Bull. Having been heavily linked with a move to the constructors' champions Raikkonen has also reportedly been a target for Ferrari, but at present he doesn't have a contract for next season.

Asked if he was confident Raikkonen would be with the team in 2014, Boullier replied: "Yes I am.

"He loves the team. He likes to be here and he likes the environment that we have created for him. I understand that he has to be reassured about the strength of the team financially, the technical challenge we have to face for next year and where we go, so it's normal."

Asked about the remarkable run of 27 consecutive points finishes Raikkonen had been on before his retirement at Spa, Boullier said it was mainly due to the driver rather than the car's reliability.

"Obviously the team does a good job! And Kimi. I'm surprised, yes, because when you compete at this level you always face potential failure but we didn't and Kimi is clearly an exceptional racer. His race-craft is amazing and he can deliver from whatever position he is on the grid; he can always move up to the final positions. So this is mainly due to him and the strong reliability of the car."

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