Ferrari confirms Raikkonenposted in F111 | 09 | 2013
FERRARI TODAY CONFIRMED Kimi Raikkonen (pictured) will join Fernando Alonso next year in Formula One's dream team. And three-times world champ Sir Jackie Stewart believes the move could destabilise Alonso.
The 33-year-old Finn — who won the world championship with Ferrari in 2007 — switches from Lotus, having signed a two-year deal with the Maranello giant.
“I'm really happy to be returning to Maranello where I previously spent three fantastic and very successful years,” Raikkonen said today.
"I have so many memories of my time at Ferrari, memories which have stayed with me these past years, first and foremost, winning the World Championship title in 2007, which was really unforgettable.
"I can’t wait to be driving a Prancing Horse car again and to reacquaint myself with so many people with whom I had such close links, as well as working with Fernando, whom I consider a great driver, in order to bring the team the success it deserves.”
Ironically, it was the arrival of the Spaniard in 2010 which fuelled Raikkonen's decision to leave F1.
But after a troubled attempted in career in the World Rally Championship, and having dabbled with Nascar Truck racing and tested Peugeot's Le Mans car, he returned to F1 last year with Lotus.
The announcement was fully anticipated after Ferrari's current No 2 driver, Felipe Massa — who has not won a race since 2008 — confirmed yesterday he wouldn't be with the team in 2014.
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It's expected Lotuts will slot German Nico Hulkenberg into Raikkonen's vacated seat at Lotus.
The Finn has impressed in his first year back in F1, claiming seven podiums and a win in Abu Dhabi.
Ferrari will give both Alonso and Raikkonen equal billing in the team, and the decision is likely to cause fireworks.
Cast your mind back to 2007 when Alonso was teamed with Lewis Hamilton at McLaren. The internal ructions forced the Spaniard to leave after just one of his three-year contract.
And it's been well-documented recently that Alonso has been far from enamoured with his Ferrari team. Relationships have been frayed and quite how the fiery Spaniard will cope with having Raikkonen in the next garage to him promises to be interesting, to say the least.
Raikkonen though has three years' experience with Ferrari, having raced with them between 2007 and 2009. During that time, in addition to winning the title in his first season, he won nine grands prix and five pole positions.
The decision by Raikkonen to rejoin the Italian giant further strengthens Ferarri who already have technical James Allison — seen as F1's most highly-regarded design engineer apart from Adrian Newey — as technical director, and chief designer Rory Byrne.
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And Stewart, who has worked with Raikkonen in his role as ambassador with Lotus, is in no doubt Alonso will feel uncomfortable with today's announcement.
"I think there would be destabilising elements to it," Stewart said. "Will Alonso deliver as well as he has, based on him being the chosen son, so to speak?
"It will be a very confusing element within that team for them to have Kimi and Alonso, who I doubt would really like to have Kimi there."
But the Scot is in no doubts that the pairing makes Ferrari the strongest driver line-up for 2014.
"Without question that's the case," he said. "A team needs two drivers to be able to pick up world championship points," he said.
"For Lotus, the points gain has almost exclusively been in the hands of Kimi Raikkonen, and that has been the same case at Ferrari with Fernando Alonso.
"However, Red Bull have had regular performances in the high points scale from both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. That is why they are leading the championship.
"If you have two drivers picking the points up, you are going to win the constructors' championship."
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Jim McGill