Maurizio Arrivabene has refused to rule out the possibility of Ferrari signing Valtteri Bottas to replace fellow countryman Kimi Raikkonen in 2016 or 2017.

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Raikkonen's contract expires at the end of the current season, something Arrivabene is using as a motivating tool for the Finn. The uncertainty over Raikkonen's future has fuelled speculation about Lewis Hamilton, who is yet to sign a contract extension beyond 2015 at Mercedes, and, more recently, Williams driver Valtteri Bottas possibly making the switch to Maranello.

Rumours in Italian media suggest Bottas has already signed a pre-agreement to join Ferrari in either 2016 or 2017 - the latter would allow Ferrari to take up the option to keep Raikkonen next season - but team boss Arrivabene refused to deny the link.

"I promised in the pre-season that I would never lie to you [the media], but for this question it is too early to give a precise answer," Arrivabene told Bild when quizzed on whether Bottas has signed a pre-agreement.

However, the Italian was more forthright on the rumours regarding Hamilton, saying the team would rather invest in younger talent.

"Why do I need Lewis Hamilton when I have a heavyweight like [Sebastian] Vettel? I would rather look around for a young, talented driver to unite with Sebastian."

Arrivabene reiterated his previous statements that Raikkonen's impressive start to the season needs to continue if the Finn wants to retain his seat next season.

"If he continues like this, we will extend for another year. But performance alone is only one thing - I also like how he [Raikkonen] and Seb [Vettel] work together. They even sometimes travel together, so these are things that do influence a decision."