This afternoon at Suzuka Ferrari finally confirmed F1's worst kept secret that Spanish former double world champion Fernando Alonso will switch from the Renault team to join the Scuderia next season at the start of a three year contract. He will replace Kimi Raikkonen who won the world championship in his first season with the Maranello team and has been bought out of his contract one year early. Alonso, who is a controversial figure in the F1 paddock, will be team mate to Felipe Massa next year, the Brazilian's recovery from the injury he suffered in Hungary this summer going according to plan.

"Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro announces that it has reached an agreement with the driver Fernando Alonso. The agreement covers three racing seasons, starting in 2010," read a statement issued by Ferrari this afternoon. "The Scuderia’s driver line-up next season will therefore be made up of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, with Giancarlo Fisichella in the role of reserve driver. Kimi Raikkonen will leave the team at the end of this current season, after what has been a rewarding and fruitful partnership, which saw him win the Drivers’ title in 2007. He also played a key role in Ferrari’s taking of the Constructor’s title that same year and in 2008," the press release added.

Twenty eight year old Alonso from Oviedo in Northern Spain entered the F1 record books in 2005 when he won his first world championship crown and at the age of 24 years and 41 days thus became the youngest-ever title holder (a record that was broken two years later by Lewis Hamilton). He made it back to back titles, again with Renault, a year later. The Spaniard had made to to F1 via the Nissan Euro series and F3000 before he graduated to the top rung on the ladder with the Minardi team in 2001. The next year he stepped back from full-time F1 to become Renault's official test driver, joining the grand prix team a year later in 2003 and collecting his first win during an opening season with the outfit that netted him sixth place in the title race. After five straight seasons with the French team, which culminated in back-to-back titles in 2005-2006, he joined McLaren-Mercedes in 2007 and a controversial year ensured which resulted in his rookie team mate Lewis Hamilton pipping him to the world title while he was also implicated in the "Spygate" affair.

Alonso quit the English team at the end of the year to return to his former berth Renault, the only door open to him at the time, but the team was on a downward spiral by that point and he hasn't enjoyed very competitive machinery over the last two years, although he managed to pick up a brace of wins in 2008, one being the controversial "fixed" Singapore Grand Prix, with Ferrari's concerns over his implication in "Crashgate" being the reason they dragged out the announcement. However during the FIA's hearings into the affair in Paris this month he was cleared of any involvement, opening the door to Ferrari confirming him as a driver for 2010-2012.

“We are very proud to welcome to our team another winning driver, who has demonstrated his amazing talent by winning two World Championships in his career to date,” commented Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali. “Of course, we wish to thank Kimi for everything he has done during his time with Ferrari: in his first year with us, he managed to win the Drivers’ title, thus making his contribution to Ferrari’s history and he played a vital role in our taking of the Constructors’ title in 2007 and 2008. Even during a difficult season like this one, he has demonstrated his great talent, with several good results, including a great win in Spa and we are sure that we can share more good times together in the final three races of this season.”

“With common consent, we have agreed to terminate the contract binding me to Ferrari to the end of 2010, one year ahead of schedule,” said Kimi Raikkonen. “I am very sad to be leaving a team with which I have spent three fantastic years, during which time I won plenty of races. Together, we have won 50 percent of the world titles in that period and I managed to take the Drivers’ title in 2007, thus achieving the target I had set myself at the start of my career. I have always felt at home with everyone here and I will have many happy memories of my time with the team.”