With rumors about Hamilton's move to Mercedes strengthening, Raikkonen has been linked with a return to McLaren. The Finn's management team has been spotted in the last three race weekends and it's likely they've been in contact with McLaren.
Lewis Hamilton’s demeanour and that of his team after victory in the Italian Grand Prix bore all the hallmarks of a divorce that has already been agreed. Minimal celebrations on the pit wall and beneath the podium, a team photo for appearances’ sake with an implacable looking Hamilton and Ron Dennis declining to join in.
After Hamilton's departure, McLaren will have to fill a big hole in their driver line-up. The only logical replacement would be a driver that comes close to Hamilton's performance. While Raikkonen seems to be a fitting target, he has a contract with Lotus for next year. Supposedly the contract is valid only if the team could give him a car capable of finishing in the top 8 in the world championship. That requirement has pretty much been fulfilled and pundits believe that the Finn is now locked into their 2013 contract now.
However, contracts can be easily terminated as we've seen after Kimi's sudden departure from Ferrari in 2009. The Robertsons (Raikkonen's management team) have been spotted in Budapest, Spa and Monza and are supposedly conducting negotiations with several teams regarding Raikkonen's future. And with Hamilton now almost surely set to leave McLaren, the team's plan B could easily feature the 2007 World Champion.
Raikkonen is no stranger to McLaren. He enjoyed very successful years there and built a healthy relationship with the Woking team. Team principal, Martin Whitmarsh has been praising the Finn for his comeback performance and his words are proof enough that they might be interested in hiring him back.
