Raikkonen aiming to make another step forward in 2013

Kimi Raikkonen has explained how he is aiming to make further steps forward next season, following on from his announcement earlier this morning confirming his allegiance with Lotus for 2013. After enjoying a highly competitive return to the sport this season with the Enstone-based outfit, Raikkonen will be striving for much of the same in 2013.

From lights-out in Australia right the way through the season, Kimi Raikkonen has shown that he has lost none of his competitiveness during his absence from the sport. By the Bahrain Grand Prix in April, Kimi Raikkonen nearly took victory from Sebastian Vettel, however the Finn had to settle for 2nd with team-mate Romain Grosjean a close 3rd. Raikkonen finished on the podium once again next time out at the Spanish Grand Prix, and has done so consistently at the European, German, Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix.

Not only has Kimi Raikkonen impressed many by his ability to return almost instantly to the podium, the Finn has also managed to finish every racing lap of the season, taking points at every single race except China at the start of the year. Kimi Raikkonen remains to the only driver with such consistency on the 2012 grid, and has expressed a desire to continue this competitiveness next season with the new E21 machine.

“I think my return to Formula 1 has gone pretty well and the team has done a very good job all year so far.” Explained Kimi Raikkonen, “To be honest, I didn’t expect to be fighting for the Drivers’ Championship this season when you look at where the team was in 2011, so it has been great to be on the podium so many times and to score points on a regular basis. I feel very comfortable with Lotus F1 Team and we share the same philosophy of racing. Continuing with the team was an obvious choice for me and I’m looking forward to making another step forward together next year.”

Kimi Raikkonen’s incredible 2012 season has not gone unnoticed throughout the Lotus outfit, with Lotus team principal Eric Boullier believing it was simply a natural conclusion to have the Finn re-sign with the Enstone-based outfit. Despite the team not winning a race so far this season, they have unquestionably been one of the most impressive outfits throughout the highly competitive grid.

“Kimi has made an exceptional comeback to Formula 1.” Said Eric Boullier, “From the first time he sat in the car this year it was clear he had lost none of his pace or technical feedback and we have been rewarded by a focused and motivated driver all season. For Lotus F1 Team to be fighting for such strong Championship positions this year is in no small part attributed to Kimi’s talent and experience of racing. It was a natural conclusion for us to confirm that we will be harnessing his abilities for next season.”

Kimi Raikkonen will most likely be partnered with Romain Grosjean for next season, which would see the Lotus line-up remain unchanged for 2013 despite the Frenchman’s incident-filled season. It’s no question that both Raikkonen and Grosjean have the ability to be victorious, and if the next year’s Lotus E21 is as competitive as this year’s E20, victories could come in abundance for the Enstone-based outfit.

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