Raikkonen - Alonso
Reuters

Former Formula 1 superstar Alain Prost believes Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen are capable of forming a strong partnership for Ferrari next season.

Raikkonen will leave Lotus and return to the Italian outfit next year, replacing Felipe Massa, who ends his seven-year association with Ferrari at the end of this season. With two high-profile drivers - who are both expected to mount a championship challenge next year - lining up for Ferrari, there have been suggestions that there could be conflict inside the team.

However, Prost, who enjoyed a fractious but successful partnership with fellow F1 legend Ayrton Senna at McLaren during 1988/89 season, predicts the duo will form a good relationship and help Ferrari mount a title challenge.

"Only next year will tell us, because that [choice] can work very well. It has worked very well in the past. Everybody thinks about the reality between me and Senna - but it has also worked well. It worked very well for the team, we really put the team on top," Prost pointed out.

"If you have a problem it is the management that has to make it work. It is going to be more difficult but it can work. It should be easier because Kimi has a different character," the Frenchman added.

There were reports that with Raikkonen's joining Ferrari, Alonso could leave for McLaren. However, the Spaniard dismissed those rumours last week and expressed his interest in finishing his career at the Maranello outfit.

"We are working very closely on arriving at that situation because I hope to end my career in Formula One with Ferrari. To sit together and to try to do it, that's my desire, and the team has expressed to me more or less the same desire when we talk about this. That will be a good thing to achieve," the 32-year-old said.

"There have been people racing until 38, 39, with no problems. Mark [Webber] is one of the examples, he has been very competitive, and Michael [Schumacher] also came back at a good age. So 35 is still a good age, so if I keep the motivation and enjoying the sport, like I'm doing now, when the time arrives we will see," Alonso stressed.