( CNN ) -- Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen is excited ahead of his return to Formula One next season , having signed a two-year deal with the renamed Lotus team in November . Raikkonen claimed the drivers ' title four years ago while racing with the legendary Italian marque Ferrari before leaving the sport in 2009 , going on to compete in the World Rally Championship and NASCAR . `` There has been quite a bit of noise in the press about my comeback and there have been a lot of rumours , '' the 32-year-old told the UK-based team 's website . `` For me , coming back to Formula One is a good thing and I hope it will be for the team and the fans also . '' Raikkonen has a wealth of experience in F1 , having started 156 grands prix across eight seasons racing for Sauber , McLaren and Ferrari , but still gets a thrill out of preparing a car for the grueling year ahead . `` I love this time of the year at the factory , '' he said . `` There 's a real buzz surrounding the new car . `` Every single department is working flat out in order to have everything ready on time . You can really feel people 's dedication and it 's nice to be a part of it . `` You spend so much time sitting in the car so the position is really crucial , it needs to be 100 % right . I 'd rather spend a lot of time getting it right at this time of the year because there are many races in the season . Getting it right the first time is imperative . '' Raikkonen and Frenchman Romain Grosjean will form a new-look driver partnership at Lotus , replacing Brazil 's Bruno Senna and Vitaly Petrov of Russia . This will be the team 's first year racing under the legendary Lotus name , having previously been known as Renault and then Lotus Renault after the French manufacturer scaled down its F1 involvement . This season will see six world champions take to the track , with Raikkonen lining up alongside Red Bull 's 2010 and 2011 titleholder Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes ' seven-time winner Michael Schumacher plus Ferrari 's Fernando Alonso and McLaren 's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button . The opening race is the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne on March 18 . In other motorsport news Friday , the sixth stage of the Dakar Rally had to be halted by summer snow in the Andes . The competitors were due to complete a 394km leg from Fiambala in Argentina to Copiapo in Chile containing 247km of special sections , but it was called off when the frontier was closed . `` Due to the bad weather continuing over the Andes Cordillera , the Chilean authorities were forced to close , for the night , the border at Paso de San Francisco , situated at 4,700m , '' said a statement on the race 's official website . The event will resume Saturday in Copiapo for the 573km ( with 419km of timed special ) seventh stage . France 's Stephane Peterhansel and Cyril Despres top of the car and bike standings on the 14-day endurance rally .
Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen is excited about his return to Formula One . The 2007 world champion left the sport in 2009 and has spent time in NASCAR and WRC . Raikkonen has raced in 156 grandes prix for Sauber , McLaren and Ferrari . Sixth stage of Dakar Rally halted by summer snow in Andes .