Lotus Renault GP officials say they have no doubts that Kimi Raikkonen is fully fired up for his Formula 1 return, and will be able to deliver at his best straight away.
Although the manner of Raikkonen's exit from F1 after a disappointing 2009 campaign has left some questioning his motivation, team principal Eric Boullier is convinced that the Finn is ready to prove his doubters wrong.
"Kimi is very motivated and determined to come back, so he convinced us," Boullier said. "You can feel it, and discuss it. Also, there are some people around him who confirmed he is very motivated. We don't need to speak much about the motivation. We know he wants to be back."
Raikkonen is due to make his first official visit to the team's Enstone, UK factory later this week, as the squad begins proper preparations for the 2007 champion's F1 comeback. Boullier believes that Raikkonen's presence will be a major boost as it bids to recover from a disappointing season.
"If Kimi is coming back to F1 after two years of not racing in F1, it is because he is a World Champion and everyone knows about his speed," said Boullier. "It is very good news for the team and shows it has big ambitions for the future. An F1 World Champion obviously makes a difference and I think his expectation and level of commitment will be at the level of a high-class driver, so I am very excited and very happy to work with him.
"We clearly have this season behind us and we look forward to racing next season, and definitely we will make some differences over the course of the next three months. Genii are backing us very strongly. They want Lotus to be a top team and our aim is to fight and be on the podium. We have some very exciting announcements coming and that will be key to the future."