Raikkonen to return to Sauber on two-year deal
Sauber have announced Kimi Raikkonen will return to the team from 2019, with the Finn adding he has signed a two-year deal.
Ferrari initially got the ball rolling on Tuesday morning, announcing Raikkonen would be leaving the team at the end of the 2018 season.
Shortly after the announcement, Raikkonen took to Instagram to say he would be re-joining his first team, Sauber, on a two-year contract starting from next season.
He posted: “Guess who’s back?! Next two years with @sauberf1team ahead! Feels extremely good to go back where it all began!”
View this post on Instagram
Sauber then released their own official statement to confirm the news.
A statement read: ‘The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team is delighted to announce that Kimi Räikkönen will join the team from 2019. The 2007 Formula One World Champion has signed for the next two seasons.
‘In his career, Kimi Räikkönen has secured 20 Grands Prix wins and 100 podiums, making him one of the most highly regarded drivers in the history of the sport.
‘The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team looks forward to the arrival of the Finnish driver, with whom the team shares the common goal of achieving ambitious results.’
Sauber team principal Frederic Vasseur added: “Signing Kimi Räikkönen as our driver represents an important pillar of our project, and brings us closer to our target of making significant progress as a team in the near future.
“Kimi’s undoubted talent and immense experience in Formula One will not only contribute to the development of our car, but will also accelerate the growth and development of our team as a whole.
“Together, we will start the 2019 season with a strong foundation, driven by the determination to fight for results that count.”
Soon after the announcement, Ferrari then confirmed Charles Leclerc as Raikkonen’s replacement.
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