Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen has confirmed he will retire from Formula One at the end of the season.
The 41-year-old, who claimed his first and only drivers' title with Ferrari in 2007, has spent the last three years with Alfa Romeo and will bow out from the sport after the final race of the calendar at Abu Dhabi in December.
Last year the Finnish racer broke the record for most F1 starts and revealed in a post on Instagram he had come to a decision a long time ago.
"This is it. This will be my last season in Formula 1. This is a decission (sic) I did during last winter," Raikkonen said.
Team Alfa Romeo said on Twitter: "Truly the end of an era for our sport. Thank you for everything, F1 won't be the same without you. Kiitos, Kimi."
F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali worked with Raikkonen at Ferrari and paid tribute to the veteran driver known as 'the Iceman'.
He said: "Kimi is an incredible part of our sport, a personal friend and a true champion.
"I had the privilege of working with him at Ferrari and know the fantastic person he is. We will all miss him and his unique style and wish him and his family the best for the future."
