The Alfa 🥀Romeo driver posted a message on Instagram on Wednesday evening confiꦬrming he will step away from F1 at the end of 2021.

The 41-year-old, whose contract waꦡs due to expire at the end of the year, revealed he made the deciꦏsion over the winter.

“This is it,” Raikkonen wrote. “This wil😼l be my last season in Formula 1.

“This is a decision I did during last winter. It was not an easy decision꧋ but after this season it is time for new things.

“Even ♚though the season is still on, I want to thank my family, all my teams, everyone involved in my racing career and especial⭕ly all of you great fans that have been rooting for me all this time.

“Formula 1 might come to an end for me but there is a lot more in life that I want to experience and enjoy. See you ꧅around after all of this!”

It will bring to an end a 20-year spell in F1 for Raikkonen, who remains the last driver to win a world championship for Ferrari, having beaten Lewis Hamilton to the 2007 tℱitle by ♒a point.

Raikkonen made his debut with Sauber in 2001 and went on to race for McLaren and Ferrari before leaving the sport to pursue a career in rallying at the end of 20🍰09.

The Finn returne🀅d🐽 to F1 with Lotus in 2012 and later rejoined Ferrari for a further five-year stint between 2014 and 2018.

After Ferrari replaced Raikkonen with Charles Leclerc in 2019, he returned to the Sauber-run Alfa Romeo outfit wi📖th which he has raced for over the past three seasons.

Raikkonen has claimed 21 victories and taken 18 pole positions throughout💞 his F1 career that has seen him ☂become the most experienced driver of all time, completing 341 starts to date.

His his most 🧜recent, and likely final, F1 victory came for Ferrari at the 2018 United States Grand Prix.

Valtteri Bottas is expected to replace Raikkonen at Alfa Romeo❀ for the 2022 F1 season, with George Russell set to earn promotion to Mercedes to partner Hamilton.