11/09/2018
NEWS STORY
Eighteen minutes after Ferrari revealed that Kimi Raikkonen is to leave Maranello at season end, Sauber confirmed The Iceman for 2019 and 2020.
"The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team is delighted to announce that Kimi Raikkonen will join the team from 2019," said the Swiss outfit in a brief statement.
Confirming that Raikkonen has signed for the next two seasons, Sauber added that in his career, Raikkonen 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," it added.
"Signing Kimi Raikkonen as our driver represents an important pillar of our project," said Frederic Vasseur, CEO of Sauber Motorsport and Team Principal of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team, "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."
The move sees Raikkonen go full circle, for it was at Sauber he made his controversial debut in 2001.
With just 23 (car) races under his belt, there was widespread concern at giving a superlicence to such a relatively inexperienced driver, FIA president Max Mosley among those unsure of the move.
The Finn went on to score a point on his F1 debut, finishing sixth in Australia.