McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh has remained coy about rumours that Kimi Raikkonen is set to return next season, saying the Finn would be a good fit at the team if they "choose to go down that route."
Last week, Ferrari announced that Fernando Alonso would be taking Kimi Raikkonen's race-seat, leaving the former World Champion without a 2010 driver.
Rumours immediately emerged, suggesting that he could make a return to McLaren, the team he raced for prior to his Ferrari contract while Raikkonen's own comments that he'll only sign for a Championship-winning team added fuel to the rumours.
McLaren, though, are keeping their cards close with Whitmarsh once again stating that no decision has been made and that Heikki Kovalainen could yet keep his race-seat for 2010.
"The answer is simple. We have not determined a driver line-up yet and we haven't set a timetable for doing so," he told the official F1 website. "We now have clarity about Ferrari's drivers and we know now that other drivers are available.
"We try and give Heikki every opportunity to do a good job, Heikki is a very committed driver and a lovely chap, and we would like him to get some good results over the rest of the season. We are focusing on that and are not announcing a driver line-up for the moment.
"We have not made a decision on timing. We will continue to review the situation and, once we know, we will announce it."
The odds are hedging in Raikkonen's favour, though, as Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug has said he would welcome the Finn back at McLaren. Haug added that he's confident McLaren could handle having two star drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Raikkonen, on the payroll.
This is a sentiment backed up by Whitmarsh, who reckons Raikkonen would be a good fit at McLaren, especially given his future desire to beat Ferrari.
"Kimi is a fantastic driver, and I like him and know him well. He was with the team for five years," Whitmarsh said.
"He is quick, he is committed and I think he probably would be very committed to beating Ferrari in the future - knowing him.
"All these are attractive things with Kimi. He is not political. He is absolutely straightforward - what you see is what you get with Kimi. And on top of that everyone knows that he is a winning driver.
"I think he has been underestimated technically. He is a very good racing driver and I think he would fit well in this team, if we choose to go down that route."
Added to that, Whitmarsh admits that team harmony is a criteria when choosing Hamilton's 2010 team-mate as McLaren look to avoid the controversy that befell them in 2007 when Hamilton teamed up with Alonso.
And that's a factor that plays into current driver Heikki Kovalainen's hands.
"I think we are very fortunate at the moment as there is tremendous harmony in the team. Both our current drivers aren't political. They are very open to one another and they genuinely like each other.
"Team-mates don't necessarily like each other - that is not a prerequisite. They have to be honest and open and not political, that is part of the ingredients needed this year.
"We started in a very poor state with a slow car and then we had other controversies at the beginning of the year. I have to say I am personally proud of how the team pulled together during the year.
"I credit that to the genuine harmony among people who enjoy working together. And for the future, whatever driver line-up we have, you want to have that."
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