Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen will return to Formula 1 next season after signing a two-year deal with Lotus Renault GP.
The 32-year-old Finn left Formula 1 at the end of 2009 to pursue a career in rallying.
"My hunger for F1 has recently become overwhelming," said Raikkonen. "It was an easy choice to return with Lotus Renault GP."
Raikkonen's new team will be known as Lotus F1 Team from 2012.
Kimi RaikkonenMy time in the World Rally Championship has been a useful stage in my career as a driver
The Finn, who won the title with Ferrari in 2007, added: "I have been impressed by the scope of the team's ambition. Now I'm looking forward to playing an important role in pushing the team to the very front of the grid.
"My time in the World Rally Championship has been a useful stage in my career as a driver."
There was confusion last week after Lotus Renault GP announced that Robert Kubica, who raced for the team before he was injured in a rallying accident in February, would not return to the sport next season.
Meanwhile, Raikkonen was strongly linked with a move to Williams in place of veteran racer Rubens Barrichello.
RAIKKONEN F1 FACT FILE
- Born: 17 October 1979
- F1 debut: 2001 Australian GP
- Teams: Sauber, McLaren, Ferrari and Lotus Renault
- Titles: 1
- Wins: 18
- Podiums: 62
- Career points: 579
- Poles: 16
- Fastest laps: 35
But on Tuesday, Lotus Renault GP confirmed Raikkonen, who has 18 wins and 62 podiums in F1, in the seat.
"Kimi's decision to come back to Formula 1 with us is the first step of several announcements which should turn us into an even more serious contender in the future," said Gerard Lopez, Lotus GP chairman.
"Of course, we are all looking forward to working with a world champion."
Raikkonen entered F1 in 2001 with Sauber, raising eyebrows when he scored a point on his debut at the Australian Grand Prix.
In 2002, he moved to McLaren, where he spent five seasons before Ferrari signed him for 2007.
DID YOU KNOW?
Entering the final race of 2007 trailing championship leader Lewis Hamilton by seven points, when only 10 were available for a win, Raikkonen won the title by a single point after Hamilton suffered a gearbox problem on his way to seventh
The Finn struggled to recapture that form in the next two seasons, where he was frequently outperformed by team-mate Felipe Massa, and left the team at the end of 2009 after the Italian squad paid off his contract to make room for double world champion Fernando Alonso.
Raikkonen has spent the last two seasons racing a Citroen in the World Rally Championship, where he had a career-best rally finish of fifth, and also competed in one-off races in the Nascar Truck Series and Nationwide Series.
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