It's official: Kimi Raikkonen will return to Ferrari for 2014 to partner Fernando Alonso

It's official: Kimi Raikkonen will make a sensational return to Ferrari in 2014 to form a mouthwatering partnership alongside Fernando Alonso.

"It will certainly put Alonso on his toes and it will be the strongest line-up in Formula 1 and I think it will be must watch television with those two head-to-head," said Sky Sports F1 analyst Martin Brundle. "They go about their business in such different ways, it will be fascinating to see how they work together. But we have such huge changes to the car in 2014, the first half of the season will just be about understanding the new power packs." Although Raikkonen's previous stint at Ferrari saw the team's driver hierarchy effectively distill into a joint number one policy owing to Massa's step forward in form in 2008, Alonso has enjoyed clear number-one status since arriving three years ago. "I imagine FIAT [Ferrari majority owners] are tired of not winning the Constructors' Championship and netting the multi-million pound bonus that comes with it just because Massa isn't scoring enough points," mused Sky F1's Ted Kravitz. "So while Kimi's move would help Ferrari do better in the constructors' race - it's inevitably going to lead to a change in the way Ferrari operate. "Fernando has been indulged in having a clear number two driver who will do any work necessary to help him win the championship, but that's less likely to happen with Raikkonen in the other car, unless Kimi is mathematically out of the title race. "So it will be a complete change in the way Ferrari operate. No longer will they be able to just send the number two out to test some new parts in unfavourable track conditions, for example, or deliberately incur a gearbox penalty to move Fernando onto the clean side of the grid, as they did in Austin last year, or get the other driver to do the boring long-running on a tyre in practice that Fernando doesn't want to do, using up valuable mileage, because Kimi won't do that." How Sky Sports F1 broke the news of Raikkonen's blockbuster return
Friday: Sky F1 reveals Ferrari want Raikkonen to return
Friday: Stefano Domenicali refuses to deny Ferrari want Kimi back
Saturday: Ferrari preparing to go back to the future with Raikkonen
Monday: Terms agreed, but Ferrari make us wait
Tuesday: 'Raikkonen announcement imminent'
Tuesday: Felipe Massa to leave Ferrari