The Formula One silly season has begun and recent events are pointing towards the possibility of an impending retirement for Kimi Raikkonen. Williams driver Valtteri Bottas has recently been reported to have signed for Ferrari. With Raikkonen's contract open only for a 2016 optional extension, it is likely that it will be Bottas who will be lining up the grid alongside Sebastian Vettel in 2016.

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Bottas is no stranger to sitting beside four-time World Champion Vettel. At the moment, he is sitting behind the Ferrari driver in the world championship standings. Vettel is currently in third place behind the two leading Mercedes drivers. Bottas lies in 4^th but he is only one point ahead of Raikkonen with 77 and 76 points respectively.

According to FOX Sports, Italian news website Corriere dello Sport has claimed on Friday that the Bottas camp has reached a deal with Ferrari for US $13 million. If this is true, that means that Ferrari would not be exercising the option to extend Raikkonen's contract for another year. The same report claims that the option on the Finn's contract won't expire until July 31. An official announcement about any signings or contract extensions won't be announced by the team until then.

Eurosport recalls quotes from both drivers which may give clues about their futures. Bottas reportedly once stated that he is only interested in moving either to Ferrari or to Mercedes. If he won't move to either team, he would rather stay at Williams. Raikkonen on the other hand, reportedly made an ultimatum about his own future in the sport. "If I am not with Ferrari, I am not with any team," he declared earlier this year.

If Raikkonen does leave Ferrari and is replaced by his fellow Finn, the vacancy that will be left at Williams could create a chain reaction of movement around the grid. Nico Hulkenberg is being linked to replace Bottas at Williams but so is newcomer Felipe Nasr.

It remains to be seen if the reports ring true by the end of the month. If Raikkonen retires, he is leaving with a lone World Championship title with Ferrari which he won back in 2007. 

TagsKimi Raikkonen, Formula One, ferrari, Williams, Valtteri Bottas, Sebastian Vettel, driver, retirement