Kimi Raikkonen will leave Ferrari at the end of 2018, the team announced.
The Scuderia made the following statement:
“Scuderia Ferrari announces that, at the end of the 2018 season, Kimi Raikkonen will step down from his current role.”
“During these years, Kimi’s contribution to the Team, both as a driver and on account of his human qualities, has been fundamental. He played a decisive role in the team’s growth and was, at the same time, always a great team player.”
“As a World Champion for Scuderia Ferrari, he will always be part of the Team’s history and family. We thank Kimi for all of this and wish him and his family a prosperous future.”
There’s still no announcement who will be Sebastian Vettel’s teammate in 2019. It is almost common knowledge that the cockpit will go to Charles Leclerc but there is no official confirmation.
Kimi Raikkonen is the last Ferrari champion up to now after winning the Formula 1 world title in 2007. His Grand prix career started in 2001 in the Sauber team. Then he went to McLaren and remained at the British team from 2002 to 2006 before joining the Scuderia. At the end of 2009, Raikkonen left Ferrari and spent the next two years driving in the World Rally Championship and trying NASCAR. In 2012 Raikkonen came back to F1 in the Lotus team before returning to Ferrari in 2014.
