Raikkonen to leave Ferrari and rejoin Sauber in 2019

Kimi Raikkonen will leave Ferrari to join Sauber on a two year deal from the 2019 Formula 1 season.

Ferrari announced the Finn would be ending his second spell with the team at the end of the current season on Tuesday morning, before confirmation shortly followed from Sauber that Raikkonen will re-join the Swiss squad.

The move paves the way for Ferrari protégé and current Sauber driver Charles Leclerc to be promoted and fill Raikkonen's vacated seat at the Scuderia.

Raikkonen has failed to claim a grand prix victory since returning to Ferrari at the start of the V6 hybrid era in 2014, but is the last driver to win the world championship with the team, following his triumph in 2007.

“During these years, Kimi’s contribution to the team, both as a driver and on account of his human qualities, has been fundamental," team principal Maurizio Arrivabene said in a team statement.

"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.”

Raikkonen will now rejoin the Sauber squad he made his F1 debut with in 2001.

“Signing Kimi Räikkönen as our driver represents an important pillar of our project, and brings us closer to our target of making significant progress as a team in the near future," Sauber team principal Frederic Vasseur said.

"Kimi’s undoubted talent and immense experience in Formula 1 will not only contribute to the development of our car, but will also accelerate the growth and development of our team as a whole. Together, we will start the 2019 season with a strong foundation, driven by the determination to fight for results that count.”