Alonso is delighted with Räikkönen’s return

Fernando Alonso expressed his delight at Kimi Räikkönen’s return to Formula 1 in 2012 with the Lotus F1 Team. The Finnish driver returns after a two-year absence during which he competed in the WRC. The 2007 world champion also allows the starting grid to feature six world champions – a new record.

«The fact that six (world) champions are on the grid will raise the level of the championship. This delights me because it will be a source of challenges and the desire to do well in a year with so many champions is also greater for everyone, » Alonso told the site Total Race.

Alonso, who replaced Räikkönen at Ferrari in 2009, explained that Räikkönen is an excellent driver. He respects him and has full confidence in him, so he knows he can push him to his limits on the track and nothing will happen.

«The return of Kimi is clearly very good news for all of us, not only for Formula 1 but also for the spectators, the people who love racing, because he is a very talented driver. I have always respected him, and he is a driver you can trust when you’re fighting wheel to wheel.»

With so many good drivers, Alonso believes that the field is stronger than ever and that if the top teams produce good cars, there could be many contenders for victory every weekend, which should be exciting for the fans.

We will have 12 Grand Prix winners on the grid this season (11 in reality for the moment). So there are about 14 drivers capable of winning a race on Sunday if their car is good enough. This should provide a great show for the fans, added the Ferrari driver.