Ferrari Confirm Kimi Raikkonen Will Leave Team at End of Formula 1 Season

Ferrari have confirmed Kimi Raikkonen will leave the team at the end of the 2018 Formula One season, with the Finn set to rejoin Sauber.

Motor sports journalist Dimi Papadopoulos relayed a press release from the Scuderia's team principal Maurizio Arrivabene on Tuesday:

BBC Sport's Andrew Benson also reported the news:

Raikkonen then posted on Instagram that he will be moving back to Sauber. "Guess who's back?!" he said. "Next two years with [Sauber] ahead! Feels extremely good to go back where it all began."

The veteran's replacement at Ferrari was also finalised on Tuesday, as Charles Leclerc was confirmed as the Scuderia's second driver for 2019.

The current Sauber man posted the following message on social media, saying the move is a dream come true for him:

The move brings an end to Raikkonen's second spell at Ferrari, having rejoined the team in 2014 as a team-mate for Fernando Alonso and more recently Sebastian Vettel.

The Finn didn't win a grand prix in his second spell with the team, though. Raikkonen won the world title with Ferrari in 2007, and during the 2010 and 2011 seasons he decided to take a break from the sport, focusing on rally driving.

After making a comeback with Lotus in 2012, Raikkonen eventually found his way back to Ferrari. However, the 38-year-old has provided a supporting role to Vettel in recent years, meaning his chances of race wins have been limited.

Will Buxton paid tribute to the 38-year-old on social media: 

The edge that made the Iceman such a force earlier in his career hasn't appeared to be quite there lately, though, with just two pole positions in the last two years for Ferrari.

Still, the longevity he has shown in his career is remarkable: 

Leclerc is at the start of his driving days and has impressed in his debut season with Sauber so far. The 20-year-old, who is a former Ferrari academy driver, has picked up points on five occasions in the 2018 F1 season, with his best finish a sixth place in Azerbaijan.

In 2019 he will trade places with Raikkonen and the pressure will be a lot more intense on the young Frenchman. While he won't be expected to push Vettel immediately, the front of the grid can be unforgiving in F1.

Raikkonen, meanwhile, will want to show he still has something to offer the sport back with Sauber. The onus will now be on the team to provide the former world champion with a competitive car for the 2019 term.