Group Lotus, the Proton-owned sports car manufacturer behind the Lotus Renault GP Formula 1 team, expects only the best from Kimi Räikkönen as the Finn returns to the sport next year. This will follow a two-year sabbatical after his stint with Ferrari.

Räikkönen entered F1 with Sauber ten years ago, going on to challenge for the title twice with McLaren before eventually picking up the crown with Ferrari in 2007. For 2010, he was replaced at the Maranello squad by Fernando Alonso and has spent the past two years in the World Rally Championship and NASCAR. To the delight of Lotus, Räikkönen now makes his F1 comeback.

 

“Perhaps externally it might have been a non-topic, but we always had in mind that Kimi is a gifted and proven driver,” Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus, told the official F1 website. “There's no doubting his talent, so I think it's a great step for the team and he'll be a real asset next season. It will be interesting to see how he works with the team and the development of the car.

“As with anyone we work with on and off-track, we expect him to do his best. I fully expect that he will take his commitment to the team very seriously and will do everything he can to bring in points. From what I know of Kimi from previous experience, he is a dedicated and determined driver and he wants results. He hasn't taken the decision to return to F1 lightly - he wants to fight to be at front.”

Räikkönen will be partnered by Franco-Swiss Romain Grosjean, who spent a frustrating stint with the team in the second half of 2009 before winning this year’s GP2 title. The new line-up leaves former drivers Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna searching for 2012 race seats.

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