Kimi Raikkonen 'will help' Fernando Alonso at Ferrari next season, says team principal

Kimi Raikkonen appears to be closing in on a return to former team Ferrari (GETTY IMAGES)

Ferrari say their decision to bring 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen back to the Formula One team next season will not hurt Fernando Alonso's chances.

"For anyone thinking that the choice of Kimi is somehow an anti-Alonso choice, I can put their minds at rest," said the team principal, Stefano Domenicali. "Fernando is a key asset for this team and he will be for a long time. He is too intelligent not to realise that a stronger team can only be an advantage."