Ferrari confirms Kimi Raikkonen return alongside Fernando Alonso in 2014

Rumours regarding Kimi Raikkonen’s future in Formula 1 have been officially brought to a conclusion, with Ferrari confirming the Finn’s return to the outfit on a two-year deal. This will see Raikkonen replace Felipe Massa next season, as well as partner Fernando Alonso in what will unquestionably be a strong line-up for the Scuderia.

Once Kimi Raikkonen was thwarted by Daniel Ricciardo in the quest for the Red Bull vacancy alongside reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel, rumours stepped up a gear linking the 2007 World Champion with a shock move back to Ferrari. The Finn drove for the Italian outfit between 2007 and 2009, winning nine races and one World Championship. However, towards the end of the 2009 season his relationship within the Scuderia was brought to a premature conclusion when they opted to replace him with two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso.

Kimi Raikkonen was an instant success at Ferrari, winning the Championship in 2007.

Although Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo stated back in December that two number one drivers would not be ideal for a team like Ferrari, it seems next season is shaping up to be one of incredible intrigue at the Scuderia as two of the sports most competitive drivers work together at one of the most iconic marques in motorsport. Both drivers made their debuts’ in Formula 1 back in 2001, with Fernando Alonso at Minardi and Kimi Raikkonen at Sauber. Both drivers have enjoyed tremendous success in the sport, and are highly regarded by many within the paddock.

“Scuderia Ferrari announces that it has reached an agreement with Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn will join Fernando Alonso in the driver line-up for the next two racing seasons,” read an official statement from Ferrari on Raikkonen’s return.

The announcement comes amid a huge reshuffle within the driver market, with Mark Webber set to bid the sport farewell at the end of the season and be replaced by Daniel Ricciardo. Unless Felipe Massa manages to find a drive elsewhere on the grid for 2014, he too could be set to leave Formula 1 with new faces including Sergey Sirotkin and Antonio Felix da Costa likely to make an appearance at Sauber and Toro Rosso respectively. Nico Hulkenberg is widely tipped to replace Kimi Raikkonen at Lotus, with Romain Grosjean likely to remain at the Enstone-based outfit alongside the German.

This announcement sees Kimi Raikkonen become the first driver to return to Ferrari since Gerhard Berger back in 1993, after the Austrian ace departed from the Scuderia in 1989 to join Ayrton Senna at McLaren. With Kimi Raikkonen regarded as a master of consistency within the paddock, after his record-breaking streak of 25 races within the points for Lotus between 2012 and 2013, the Finn will be looking to excel to the heights of his 2007 competitiveness when he is reunited with the Prancing Horse.

Picture(s) Copyright © Lotus F1 Team & Ferrari

Hulkenberg And Gutierrez At Sauber For 2013

Current Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg and GP2 driver Esteban Gutierrez have been strongly linked to Sauber for next season, in a move which would see current Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi rendered without a drive for the new season. With Sergio Perez set to join McLaren, this would see Sauber with a completely new driver line-up.

After making his debut back in 2010 for Williams, Nico Hulkenberg returned to the sport this season with Force India after taking a season out of full-time racing as Force India’s reserve driver. Apart from his illustrious pole at the wet/dry Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying session during his debut season, Hulkenberg failed to impress enough to remain a Williams driver was subsequently replaced by Pastor Maldonado.

However, after a season as Force India’s reserve driver last year, Hulkenberg was able to make his return to the sport this season with the Silverstone-based outfit. After a tough opening seven races, in which the German driver could only mange to score 7 World Championship points in relation to team-mate Paul di Resta’s 21, it looked as though Hulkenberg was in for a strenuously tough return to Formula 1.

At the European Grand Prix around the Valencia Street Circuit, Nico Hulkenberg’s season took a change for the better. After qualifying 8th, the 25-year-old German was able to finish a competitive 5th in what turned out to be a thrilling race. Since then, Hulkenberg has competitively finished in the points on several occasions, with a personal best of 4th at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Esteban Gutierrez enjoyed a highly competitive 2012 season in the GP2 Series.

Although no official announcement has been confirmed by Sauber or Nico Hulkenberg, the general belief within the paddock is that the deal has already been struck which will see the German driver switch to Sauber next season. However, the debate over who his team-mate will be next continues to rage on with both Kamui Kobayashi and GP2 star Esteban Gutierrez both linked to the remaining seat with the Hinwil-based outfit.

Esteban Gutierrez was the inaugural GP3 Series Champion back in 2010, after taking five victories throughout the season with the ART Grand Prix team. Last season saw the Mexican driver ‘graduate’ to the GP2 Series with Lotus ART, and take his first victory during the sprint race in support of the European Grand Prix.

Throughout the 2012 season, Esteban Gutierrez was constantly at the sharp end of the pack, finishing competitively in the points on a regular basis. The 21-year-old Mexican driver took three victories throughout the year at Valencia, Silverstone and the Hungaroring which saw him finish 3rd in the Drivers’ Championship behind Luiz Razia and eventual Series Champion Davide Valsecchi. With Mexican telecommunications company Telmex set to remain a sponsor of the Sauber outfit, it is widely regarded that Esteban Gutierrez will finally ‘graduate’ once more up to Formula 1.

The Mexican driver has already driven a Sauber Formula 1 car on numerous occasions over recent years at test sessions, and is still the teams official reserve driver. This connection with Sauber, not to mention his convenient nationality, makes him a perfect fit for the remaining seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg for 2013.

If Nico Hulkenberg does leave Sauber, this will leave a vacancy at Force India alongside Paul di Resta. Several drivers have been rumored a joining the Silverstone-based outfit, including former F1 drivers Adrian Sutil and Jaime Alguersuari. However, these rumored moves would leave Kamui Kobayashi without a drive for 2013, and it is as of yet unknown where the Japanese driver would end up next season, if anywhere.

Picture(s) Copyright © Getty Images & Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service

Nico Hulkenberg Positive Ahead Of Singapore Grand Prix

Nico Hulkenberg is confident that Force India will be competitive at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, after two strong races at Spa-Francorchamps and Monza for the Silverstone-based outfit. With the slow nature of the Marina Bay street circuit, Hulkenberg believes the track should suit the VJM05 better than recent high-sped tracks.

Although the Singapore Grand Prix is usually one of the longest and most physically demanding races of the year, usually reaching the two-hour mark, Nico Hulkenberg believes he and team-mate Paul di Resta will finish the 61-lap race within the top ten. Last season saw Force India finish the Singapore Grand Prix 6th and 8th, a result both Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta will be striving to emulate once the track action gets underway this weekend.

“I think if anything this kind of circuit should suit us a bit more – quite a lot of slow-speed corners. There’s not really one high-speed corner here. That is in our favor a little bit more than at Spa and Monza, the two last races, so I think we should be all right. As usual I think we’ll be around the top 10 and hopefully inside.”

With future contracts very much a talking point within the paddock this weekend, rumor has it that Nico Hulkenberg will remain a Force India driver next season. However, with speculation ripe that Paul di Resta could be on the move, it is currently uncertain who Hulkenberg’s team-mate at Force India would be in 2013, regarding the German remains a Force India driver.

“Well, there’s a good chance I’ll be with Force India next year but as you know nothing has been announced yet.”

Both Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta have been hinted at a possible move to Ferrari next season in place of the struggling Felipe Massa, however both parties have remained coy on the subject. With Paul di Resta’s connections with Mercedes [due to his former DTM career with the marque], speculation has also placed the Scot with a potential drive at either McLaren or Mercedes. Whether or not the Force India line-up next season stays the same remains to be seen, with the likes of Kovalainen and Alguersuari also rumored to be possible candidates for a vacant Force India seat.

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Paul di Resta Teams Up With Jenson Button’s Management Group

It has been confirmed that Paul di Resta has joined Jenson Button’s management group, The Sports Partnership, after parting company with previous manager Anthony Hamilton back in July. Paul di Resta has since been managerless, but has finally seen the importance of a management group as the driver market gathers momentum.

Paul di Resta is currently competing in his second season of Formula 1, after initially replacing Vitantonio Liuzzi for the 2011 season alongside German driver Adrian Sutil. After a relatively successful debut in the sport, the Scot subsequently became the number one driver within the team as Adrian Sutil was replaced by fellow countryman Nico Hulkenberg. At the British Grand Prix weekend back in July, di Resta confirmed that he and Anthony Hamilton (father and former manager of Lewis Hamilton) had parted company.

With Paul di Resta having been linked to possible drives at both Ferrari and McLaren next season, the decision to begin working with The Sports Partnership couldn’t have come at a better time for the Scot. The team, headed by Richard Goddard, greatly assisted in Jenson Button’s move to McLaren after the Briton took the Drivers’ Championship with Brawn GP the season before.

“It’s no secret that I have been looking for new representation and I am delighted to have found this with The Sports Partnership,” read a statement issued by Paul di Resta yesterday. “They have been assisting me in a purely advisory capacity whilst I’ve been making my decision. Based on how that’s gone and having seen what they’ve achieved with other clients, in and out of the sport of F1, it became clear that it was the right way to go. Having the right team behind me will allow me to focus on what’s important, which is to continue to develop as a driver, further my career in F1 and ultimately fight it out for race wins and a World Championship.”

Paul di Resta currently sits 15th in the Drivers’ Championship, two places behind team-mate Nico Hulkenberg. Force India have enjoyed a relatively competitive season so far, however they have yet to finish on the podium like fellow Championship rivals Sauber and Williams. Paul di Resta has yet to step onto the podium so far in his F1 career, however it is undeniable that the Scot will one day succeed in becoming a race winner, be it for McLaren, Ferrari or any other team the 26-year-old drives for in the future.

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