Kimi Raikkonen is looking forward to renewing old acquaintances after his return to Ferrari on a two-year deal was confirmed by the Scuderia.
Raikkonen, who will leave Lotus to join Ferrari as the replacement for Felipe Massa next season, won the 2007 world championship during his first stint with the Italian team but left just two years later after apparently growing disillusioned with the sport.
Two indifferent years in rallying reignited his passion for F1 and he has impressed since returning at the start of last year, winning two races and finishing third in the drivers’ championship last season.
“I am really happy to be returning to Maranello where I previously spent three fantastic and very successful years,” Raikkonen said.
The move pairs the rapid Finn with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso in what will arguably be the strongest driver line-up on the grid.
Raikkonen contested 52 grands prix for Ferrari between 2007 and 2009, winning on nine occasions. Six of those victories came in his first season as he beat McLaren duo Alonso and Lewis Hamilton to the world title by a single point.
He failed to replicate his 2007 performances in the two seasons that followed, however, and negotiated a release from his contract a year early at the end of 2009, with the Scuderia bringing in Alonso as his replacement.
After returning to the sport with Lotus, Raikkonen finished in the points in 19 of his first 20 races as he finished last season in third place.
He has seen off the challenge of both Massa and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg to land one of the most coveted seats in F1 and is sure to prove a thorn in the side of Alonso, who has enjoyed undisputed number one status since joining the team.
Alonso famously left McLaren after just one season after becoming frustrated with having to share number-one driver status with then-rookie Hamilton and how the Spaniard copes with Raikkonen’s arrival will be closely scrutinised next year.
Alonso did at least have warm words for Raikkonen yesterday, saying: “I’d like to welcome my new travelling companion: together, starting next year, we will have to tackle a very demanding technical and racing challenge.”
Massa, who has made 184 starts for Ferrari. winning 11 times, is keen to continue in F1 and has been touted as a possible replacement for Raikkonen at Lotus.
Meanwhile, Lotus reacted to Raikkonen’s departure with a bizarre message on Twitter, which featured a graphic image of two rabbits mating and the accompanying message: “So #Kimi is off to #Ferrari for 2014; it hurts a little bit… #F1”.