Ecclestone welcomes Raikkonen return; Vettel doubts instant success

Dec 1, 2011, 13:15 GMT

Berlin - Bernie Ecclestone welcomes former world champion Kimi Raikkonen back into Formula One with open arms while title holder Sebastian Vettel doesn't expect the Finn to threaten from the outset.

The 2007 world champion Raikkonen returns to the sport in 2012 at the Lotus Renault team after spending the past two seasons in rally sport.

'I am really happy to see Kimi again where he belongs, in Formula One,' the F1 boss Ecclestone told dpa on Thursday. 'I am convinced that he will be looking forward to seeing his fans again.'

The Red Bull driver Vettel said at an event of engine suppliers Renault in France that Raikkonen will have to get used to F1 just as record champion Michael Schumacher experienced in his return 2010.

'I can imagine that it is difficult to be on the same level instantly as you had at the departure,' Vettel said. 'He (Schumacher) returned and said that Formula One had changed and that he needed to get used to a few things again.'

With Raikkonen returning, the 2012 season will see an unprecedented six world champions in the field, apart from him Vettel, Schumacher, Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button (both McLaren).