Citroen Racing and Red Bull have finally confirmed that they are indeed
giving Kimi Raikkonen the opportunity to try his hand in World Rally
competition. The 2007 Formula One Champion is moving from an open-wheel
cockpit to one that is closed.
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Kimi Raikkonen, Scuderia Ferrari. Photo by xpb.cc.
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"I always wanted to compete in rally, especially in the World Rally
Championship at some point in my career," Raikkonen said. "Thanks to Red
Bull, I have the opportunity to drive the best car of the series with the
Citroen C4."
He already knows how it feels to fly through the air, having made his World
Rally debut at his home event last year in August. Raikkonen, with support
from his F1 Scuderia Ferrari team, ran in the N4 class in a Fiat Grande but
was unable to finish the event when he went off the road into a ditch. Prior
to that, the F1 ace was sitting third in class and 15th overall.
However, while Rally Finland was his first World Rally event, it was not his
first time at rallying. Finland is a rallying country and Raikkonen took on
his first challenge at the Arctic Lapland Rally in January, driving a Tommi
Makinen Racing Abarth Grande Punto S2000.
For 2010, Raikkonen will discover more on how to switch from dry hard
surfaces to icy or snow covered ones, how to run past spectators on the side
of the road to racing in mountain regions or driving through waterways; both
on tarmac and gravel routes.
The F1 ace will be in one of the two Citroen prepared rally cars under the
Junior team and he will have an expert navigator. Kaj Lindstorm will guide
his fellow countryman. Lindstrom was the co-driver for WRC legend Makinen
plus he ran Rally Finland with Raikkonen this past summer.
"This is a new but very exciting challenge. For the moment we have a
one-year contract and we will see how it goes for the future," Raikkonen
said. "I am really looking forward to testing the car and taking the start
of the first rally."
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Kimi Raikkonen and Kaj Lindstrom, 2009 Rally Finland. Photo by xpb.cc.
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While under the Citroen Junior banner, Raikkonen will be one of four drivers
for the WRC championship team. Sebastien Ogier returns with his co-driver
Julien Ingrassia. They will campaign in all but one of the 13 rounds next
year, sitting out the New Zealand event.
The cream of the Citroen program will still be their top Total World Rally
two cars with Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo. Loeb will aim for his
seventh-consecutive title with his co-driver Daniel Elena. Sordo and his
navigator Marc Marti hope to improve on their final standings of third in
2010.
Oliver Quesnel, Citroen Racing Director, indicated that more news coming out
before the end of this year. He commented: "Red Bull's commitment and energy
are a perfect fit for Citroen's ongoing thirst for victory. We will continue
to count on Sebastien and Dani to defend our world titles in 2010, and we
will also be prolonging our association with Sebastien Ogier who showed
outstanding potential this year.
"Last but not least, it is with immense joy that we welcome Kimi Raikkonen
to our ranks. We are very proud that he has chosen Citroen."
