The Finn, who yesterday confirmed his return to Formula 1 after a two-year absence, has signed a two-year deal with Lotus Renault GP though it remains to be seen who his team-mate will be with either both Bruno Senna or Vitaly Petrov set to be dropped.
While Raikkonen’s arrival signifies further confusion over driver seats at Lotus Renault GP after Nick Heidfeld – Robert Kubica’s last minute replacement following his near-fatal rallying accident – was dropped in favour of Senna at the end of August, Boullier is convinced the 32-year-old former world champion’s arrival is enormously positive news for the team.
“It is good news for the sport and of course it is good news for the team,” Boullier said. “Strategically, it is good to have a big name, a high class driver and Formula One world champion to join us.
“He is committed to racing for us and he is definitely a very good character with the experience he has from driving for McLaren and Ferrari. Also, to have someone like Kimi signing with us shows that the package we have offered was good enough – we convinced Kimi to come back to Formula One.” Telegraph.co.uk
Raikkonen said: “I’m delighted to be coming back to Formula One after a two-year break, and I’m grateful to Lotus Renault GP for offering me this opportunity. My time in the World Rally Championship has been a useful stage in my career as a driver, but I can’t deny the fact that my hunger for F1 has recently become overwhelming.”
“It was an easy choice to return with Lotus Renault GP as I have been impressed by the scope of the team’s ambition. Now I’m looking forward to playing an important role in pushing the team to the very front of the grid.”
Gerard Lopez, chairman of Genii Capital, commented: “All year long, we kept saying that our team was at the start of a brand new cycle. Backstage we’ve been working hard to build the foundations of a successful structure and to ensure that we would soon be able to fight at the highest level.
“Kimi’s decision to come back to Formula One with us is the first step of several announcements which should turn us into an even more serious contender in the future. Of course, we are all looking forward to working with a world champion. On behalf of our staff, I’d like to welcome Kimi to Enstone, a setting that has always been known for its human approach to Formula One.” Formula 1
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