Todt says Raikkonen happy at Ferrari

Raikkonen said at the end of last season that he could not see himself growing 'old' in F1, prompting talk that the Finn could be tempted to leave the sport sooner rather than later.

But speaking in an interview with German publication Auto Motor Und Sport, Todt has said he reckons Raikkonen is fully content with life at Ferrari.

When asked by the publication how big was the danger that Raikkonen could terminate his career before the end of his contract, Todt said: "I am sure, as far as one can be sure in this point, that Kimi is happy with Ferrari.

"He loves driving. We know that he does not like certain things, and that is why we don't request those of him.

"Racing drivers are only employees, but they are the workers with the most pressure. If they do not function right, then that has far larger consequence for the company than if the receptionist does not do a good job.

"Therefore I try to arrange the life of the drivers to be as pleasant as possible. Up to now I can say that always, if we asked gently Kimi to do something, he did it."

Although Todt feels there is little to choose between the talents of Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso, he thinks the Finn's character is far better suited to Ferrari.

"Kimi has ranked for five or six years as one of the best drivers. Therefore, I never understood the people who were disappointed by his achievements in the first half of the season.

"Is Kimi better or worse than Alonso? I cannot answer that. For me, both are excellent race drivers. It is the car that makes the difference. I selected Kimi, because his character fits our team better."