Räikkönen leaves Ferrari for Sauber F1

Finnish driver Kimi Räikkönen will leave Scuderia Ferrari at the end of this season and return to Alfa Romeo Sauber F1, the team he started his Formula One career with in 2001, under a two-year deal, said Sauber in a press release on Tuesday.

Räikkönen, the 2007 Formula One World Champion, has won 20 Grand Prix wins and 100 podiums in his career, making him one of the most highly regarded drivers in the history of the sport.

Sauber said its team looks forward to the arrival of the Finnish driver, with whom the team shares the common goal of achieving ambitious results.

According to Sauber Motorsport CEO and Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur, “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.”

In the Ferrari Team’s line-up for 2019, Raikkonen will be replaced by Sauber rookie Charles Leclerc, the Italian manufacturer confirmed on Tuesday. Leclerc, the 2017 Formula Two champion, seems set to be graduating after an impressive first year in F1.