Marchionne warns Raikkonen must improve performance

Ferrari President and CEO Sergio Marchionne has warned Kimi Raikkonen that the Finn must improve his performance if he wants to remain with the Scuderia next season.

While Raikkonen has appeared to have raised his game somewhat relative to team mate Sebastian Vettel, Marchionne expressed in no uncertain terms that he still expects more from the 2007 world champion should he wish to prolong his stay at Maranello.

"It is up to him, Kimi’s time with Ferrari will depend on his performance," Marchionne said in an interview with Gazetta dello Sport's Pino Allievi.

"He has to show he deserves to stay here, other wise I think he won’t want to continue here as well. There will come a day when I will leave as well."

Ferrari has yet to defeat arch-rival Mercedes this year, with Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen collecting five second place finishes.

The 64-year-old Marchionne believes one fundamental difference between Ferrari and Mercedes is the latter's consistency which the manager puts down to the Silver Arrows proven design.

"Their secret is the stability of the car. The Ferrari SF16-H is new compared to the 2015 edition. Although the design looked great, once it took to the track there were some results that didn’t match up to our expectations.

"We are trying to move past that in order to understand what is needed in order to improve our performance. It’s a difficult car."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.