Kimi Räikkönen with Lotus Renault GP in 2012!

After a two-year break in his Formula 1 career, Kimi Räikkönen is returning to the discipline, and this new start will be behind the wheel of a Lotus Renault GP car, the future Lotus team.

Announced at Williams for weeks, the trail leading to the Grove-based team suddenly went cold a few days ago. Ultimately, it was the offer made by the team led by Eric Boullier that convinced the Finn to return to competition after two seasons spent in the World Rally Championship, during which he participated in 21 events and achieved his best result at the 2010 Rally of Turkey (5th).

At 32 years old, Räikkönen has committed to two seasons with the Enstone-based team. “I am delighted to return to Formula 1 after a two-year break, and I am grateful to Lotus Renault GP for offering me this opportunity. The time spent in rally was a useful stage in my career, but I can’t deny that my desire for F1 has become stronger lately,” said the 2007 world champion. “It was an easy choice to return with Lotus Renault GP because I was impressed by the team’s ambitions. Now, I look forward to playing a significant role in the team’s rise back to the top of the grid.”

On the side of the English manufacturer, this recruitment is obviously good news: “All year, we have said that our team is at the beginning of a new cycle. We have worked hard to build the foundations of a winning structure and to ensure that we will soon be ready to compete at the highest level,” reminded Gerard Lopez. “Kimi’s decision to return to F1 with us is the first of many announcements that could make us a serious competitor in the future. Obviously, we are all eager to work with a world champion. On behalf of our team, I would like to welcome Kimi to Enstone.”

While it was thought that the vacant seat left by Robert Kubica would go to either Bruno Senna or Romain Grosjean, it is ultimately the Finn who scoops the prize. There remains considerable doubt as to who might potentially support him next season: Vitaly Petrov, Bruno Senna, and Romain Grosjean all have serious advantages—sporting and/or financial—to present to the future Lotus team.

Kimi Räikkönen began his career in 2001 with Sauber before joining McLaren and then Ferrari, with whom he won his only title in 2007. If things remain as they are, the Finn would join Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Michael Schumacher to become the sixth world champion on the starting grids in 2012.