Scuderia Ferrari retains Kimi Raikkonen for 2018 F1 season

It seems as though Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen will once again be racing under Scuderia Ferrari for the 2018 season of the Formula One World Championship. The Maranello-based team has announced that they have renewed the Ice Man's contract for another season, marking 2018 his fifth consecutive season with Scuderia Ferrari.

Raikkonen previously raced for the Maranello team in 2007, which scored him his first world title during his first year with Scuderia Ferrari. He then left after the 2009 season, but rejoined the team back in 2014. Following his return however, he has not managed to score any wins for the team. Earlier in the season Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne labled the Finn a laggard, but has recently shown improved performance by finishing on the podium at the last two rounds of the on-going season.

Following the announcement of Raikkonen's contract renewal, the Finn's teammate, Sebastian Vettel, is also expected to continue racing for Scuderia for a fourth season. Vettel's contract with the Maranello-team is also set to expire at the end of 2017. Over the year, the two have formed a strong bond at Scuderia, with Vettel keen on retaining the Finn on board.

Due to his improved performance as of late, Raikkonen currently sits in 5^th overall standing with 116 points. Meanwhile, teammate Sebastian Vettel is 86 points ahead of Raikkonen and leads in championship standings with 202 points.