Raikkonen signed with Ferrari

Ferrari have confirmed that Kimi Raikkonen will return to their team next season, where he will race alongside Fernando Alonso. The Finn signed a two-year contract with the Maranello team. “I am happy to be able to welcome Kimi back to our team,” said team boss Stefano Domenicali. "I feel very happy that he is returning to Maranello, but at the same time he is very determined to do the job that awaits him to the best of his ability."

Raikkonen raced for Ferrari for the first time in the 2007 season. He moved there from McLaren, but despite winning the World Cup in his first season with the Scuderia, relations with Maranello soon soured and Ferrari paid off all contractual obligations early. that Fernando Alonso could have joined the team instead of Finn, who was supposed to lead the team to winning ways.

After a two-year absence, Raikkonen returned to the Formula One caravan last year with the Lotus team. With his speed and consistency, he left a great impression on both the spectators and the team bosses, and thus appeared on the wish list of several teams.

When Mark Webber announced his departure from Red Bull and Formula One, Raikkonen took on the role of top favorite for the vacant seat next to Sebastian Vettl. But Milton Keynes did not want Finc to comply with his demands, so negotiations stopped and the 33-year-old was supposed to stay with Lotus afterwards. However, as the Enston team found themselves in financial difficulties, they too were unable to provide Iceman with the financial and technical stability it required of them.

Thanks to his success in the 2007 season, Raikkonen remains the last racer to win the World Championship with Ferrari, and next season, for the first time since 1953, when Alberto Ascari and Giuseppe Farina raced for the Italian team, they will be for the Maranello team. raced by two world champions at the same time.