“There’s always a lot of talk about motivation to race, but nobody really
knows what I do or what I think apart from myself, so I don’t really care
what people think.
“I wouldn’t put my name on the contract if I didn’t think that I would really
enjoy it. It will be exciting to get back.
“The main reason [for returning] was that I never really lost the passion in
racing in F1.
“My time in the World Rally Championship has been a useful stage in my career,
but I can’t deny the fact that my hunger for F1 has recently become
overwhelming.”
Raikkonen agreed terms with Renault – to be renamed Lotus from 2012 – after a
mooted deal with Williams fell through, and the 32-year-old is looking
forward to returning to a familiar environment.
“I’m really looking forward to coming back and at least Formula One is
something where I know how everything works,” he said. “I have been there
for many years.
“When I went to rallying I did not know what would happen there, when I went
to NASCAR I had no clue how it would be, so in that way is should be much
easier to come back and should be pretty normal.”
Raikkonen, who has also achieved 62 podiums and 16 pole positions in F1, feels
the biggest challenges to overcome will be the Pirelli tyre, which came in
at the start of 2011, and the physical demands of driving an F1 car.
“The braking distances, the G-forces, the acceleration, those will come back
very quickly,” he said. “The biggest thing for sure will be to get the neck
used to it again, but all the rest, I think it takes a while, but it’s not a
big thing.”
Raikkonen’s first stint in F1 began in 2001, when he was awarded a
superlicence and a contract with Sauber despite having just 23 single-seater
races to his credit.
He quickly banished concerns about his talent, scoring points on his debut
before being snapped up by McLaren for 2002, where he would win nine grands
prix and finish as championship runner-up twice during a five-year spell.
A move to Ferrari reaped instant rewards as he won six races en route to
winning the 2007 title by a single point, but his motivation appeared to
take a nosedive in 2008 and 2009, prompting his sabbatical.
Team owner Gerard Lopez said: “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.
“We are all looking forward to working with a world champion.”
Raikkonen’s move to Lotus comes amid renewed speculation that Robert Kubica,
who has a contract with the team for next year, will miss a significant part
of the 2012 season due to the injuries he received in a rallying accident in
February, and which ruled him out of the whole of the 2011 campaign.
Vitaly Petrov will be the favourite to land the second seat alongside
Raikkonen, although Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean are also in the frame.