Raikkonen still key to driver market - Grosjean

Kimi Raikkonen remains the key to the 2016 ’silly season’.

That is the view of Romain Grosjean, the current Lotus driver who openly admits he is barracking for Renault to buy back the Enstone team.

But the Frenchman is also keeping an eye on the driver market, admitting he thinks whether Ferrari keeps Raikkonen for 2016 is the key.

"The key role will be played by Kimi Raikkonen," Grosjean confirmed to the French magazine Auto Hebdo.

"If the place at Ferrari becomes available, it will cause a chain reaction," he predicted.

He is probably referring to the fact that, if Raikkonen is ousted, Valtteri Bottas is expected to step up from Williams, creating a key vacancy at the British team.

Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg might then be the favourite to go to Williams.

"Whether all these changes will be good for me or not, I’d prefer not to talk about at the moment," said Grosjean.