Kimi Raikkonen Moves to Sauber, Replaced at Ferrari by Charles Leclerc

[ PHOTO: THE GUARDIAN ]

September 12, 2018

Alan Baldwin, Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - Kimi Raikkonen will not be going out of Formula One at the top, or even with a top team.

The announcement on Tuesday that the 2007 world champion is leaving Ferrari, the sport’s oldest, most glamorous and successful team, at the end of the season was only to be expected.

Less so was the subsequent revelation that the 38-year-old ‘Iceman’ had agreed a two-year deal to continue with Ferrari-powered Sauber in a swap with that team’s Monegasque rookie Charles Leclerc.

That will close a circle at least, the Swiss team being the ones who gave Raikkonen his debut in 2001 despite the powers-that-be fearing he was too inexperienced, and keep the Finn racing on into his 40s.

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