“They are now almost everywhere – Le Mans and in Formula E” – Alfa Romeo team principal Fred Vasseur has assured Kimi Raikkonen fans Sauber will do its best to ensure he returns to racing.
Kimi Raikkonen bid adieu to Formula 1 after competing in a record 349 Grands Prix, spanning almost two decades. With Alfa Romeo, he competed in 58 races, the final one being the 2021 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
There is speculation either way about his return to motorsports, with him not confirming or rejecting the idea. But his last boss Frederic Vasseur is eager to see him back on the track and has assured his faithful Sauber would be more than happy to give him a seat in Le Mans or Formula E.
“I told him that I could help if he wants to do something else, that even the [Sauber] Group would be very happy to be supportive and to find other projects.
“They are now almost everywhere – Le Mans and in Formula E.”
No more Kimi 😢 What else will you miss about F1 in 2021? pic.twitter.com/EkyA7X7k6n
— WTF1 (@wtf1official) January 20, 2022
Vasseur on Raikkonen’s exit
Raikkonen has served long enough in the sport to earn the right to call it a day, Vasseur believes. He’s glad they had a very open discussion about it, ensuring the exit process was smooth.
“He was clear in his mind by saying, ‘No, I would prefer to close this short-term, and then perhaps in six months, eight months, I would like to do something else’.
“I think it’s quite tough when you do so many seasons in a row in F1 to stop and say, ‘Okay, next year I will do WTCC’ or I don’t know what.
“He deserves to have a rest. Honestly, I think he had a very good approach. He was always very open with us. This for me, it’s the most important because we had an open discussion about this.”
