Kimi Raikkonen believes his upcoming move to Sauber in 2019 could eventually draw comparable to his time at Lotus.
The Finn has been in strong form this season, winning his first race with Ferrari since 2008 in Austin, however, that came after the news following the Italian Grand Prix announcing the ‘Iceman’ will be replaced by rising star Charles Leclerc at the Scuderia next year.
Immediately, Kimi revealed a surprise move which will see him head into the opposite direction to the Monegasque to the team where he made his debut in 2001, a return he insists he will enjoy.
“I still like to drive and that’s the only reason why I will continue to drive next year,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “At Sauber, I can focus more on what I love – driving.”
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The timing of Raikkonen’s move also comes as the Swiss team enjoys a turnaround in form thanks to a tie-up with Alfa Romeo and Fred Vasseur at the helm.
With one round to go, Sauber has scored 42 points, just one shy of the previous four years combined, and Kimi believes the progression will only remain upward.
“Why should I worry about going to Sauber?” he said. “My goal is to try to help them to succeed and to have fun.
“When I came back to F1 for Lotus [in 2012], people said that I had made a mistake and could not do anything, but instead things went differently. It could happen again.”
During those two years Raikkonen raced with the current Renault squad, he scored 15 podiums and two wins, resulting in his return to Ferrari in 2014.