Montezemolo: Kimi not right for us yet

The Ferrari president denied his team will be getting into a contract battle with rivals McLaren-Mercedes for the young Finn's services, although he lauded him as a future world champion.

McLaren is trying to negotiate a long-term deal for Raikkonen with the Sauber team, who gave him his F1 break this season. Even if Woking-based outfit don't put him in the cockpit next year it is said to be lining up a long-running contract to have control over his career just as Williams have on Jenson Button.

Montezemolo admits he is impressed by the 21-year-old Sauber driver, but the team chief says there is no way he would put a rookie in a world championship winning Ferrari.

Speculation has mounted over the link between Raikkonen and Ferrari not only because of the young Finn's impressive form, but also because the Maranello-based team supplies Sauber with Ferrari engines.

"Raikkonen is not a Ferrari driver. He is a Sauber driver," said Montezemolo. "Sauber may be clients of ours, but we have nothing to do with their drivers.

"Kimi is a young, talented driver and is a potential world champion, but you cannot judge a driver from one season in Formula 1. Ferrari will never put a young driver in such an important car."

Montezemolo added: "It is also not the right moment for us because we have Michael Schumacher."