Ted Kravitz explains why Kimi Raikkonen is in the F1 paddock for the first time since 2021

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Sauber were visited by a former driver and world champion at the Italian Grand Prix as he returned to the paddock for the first time in three years.

The Swiss team have endured a torrid 2024 season as they are the only team not to score a point from the 15 races so far.

Drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have struggled significantly with the Sauber package. Zhou achieved the team’s best finish of 11th at the season opener in Bahrain, while Bottas has only managed as high as 13th twice.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber from team principal to Audi future

While things on track have proven disastrous, Sauber are making strides off of it as they build for the future under the Audi name. Mattia Binotto has returned to F1 as the team’s COO and CTO, while Sauber are expected to build Audi around Jonathan Wheatley after he joined the team from Red Bull.

And at the Italian Grand Prix, Sauber got a surprise visit from their former driver and 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen.

Kimi Raikkonen spotted in the Sauber garage at Monza

Speaking on Sky Sports F1 during FP3 at Monza, pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz explained why the Finn was in the F1 paddock in what is the first time since 2021.

Raikkonen had two different spells with Sauber in F1. The 44-year-old made his debut with the team in 2001 before going full circle after racing with McLaren, Lotus and Ferrari to return to the team as Alfa Romeo in 2019, where he spent the last three years of his illustrious career before retiring in 2021.

Raikkonen has rarely been sighted in the F1 paddock since his retirement. As he was seen talking with Binotto, who he worked with at Ferrari, Kravitz explained the reason for Raikkonen’s surprise appearance at Monza.

He said: “It’s quite the scene and throwback central at Sauber. You’ve got Peter Sauber, who was in charge when they were good, Mattia Binotto, who is in charge when they hope to be good again when they change to Audi, then you’ve got Kimi Raikkonen. What’s he doing here?

“Once retired, very seldom seen. He’s not thinking of making a driver comeback or looking to get into team management, because that’s the last thing he wanted to do even when he was a driver and he was paid to do them.

“He’s here because he’s affiliated with one of Sauber’s sponsors. The other half is that he’s enjoying the magic of Monza like the rest of us.”

Who will drive for Sauber in 2025?

The Swiss team are desperate to turn their fortunes around. Sauber’s form is concerning as they head closer towards the Audi era in 2026.

The German manufacturer have already signed Nico Hulkenberg on a multi-year deal as a works Audi driver and are searching for his teammate with current drivers Bottas and Zhou out of contract.

The former appears to not be out of the picture as he is an option for Audi, but Bottas’ contract demands may open the door for Gabriel Bortoleto to get the seat.

Liam Lawson is another name mentioned in the running for the vacant seat. While the future is exciting, the present day is very bleak for the team.