Kimi to drive for Citroen Junior Rally team

Posted by Harry on December 6th, 2009 | No Comments

Former F1 World Champion, Kimi Raikkonen has switched to Rallying only for the 2010 season. Left with no good drives for 2010, he decided to make the switch to drive for the Citroen Junior team driving in the 2010 World Rally Championship (WRC). Kimi will compete in 12 of the 13 rallies in 2010 leaving out New Zealand rally due the huge costs involved.

Raikkonen has made sure that the contract is only for the 2010 season making him available for the 2011 F1 season. Raikkonen ended his contract with Ferrari a year earlier than expected after Ferrari signed Fernando Alonso to replace him. Kimi tried to stay in F1 with Mclaren but the agreement failed. “This is a new but very exciting challenge,” said the Finn, who won the 2007 F1 drivers’ title with Ferrari. “We have a one-year contract and we will see how it goes for the future.”

Mclaren later on recruited Briton Jenson Button (which many hail is a wrong move). Reports say that Raikkonen was offered a contract by Toyota but they were unable to meet his salary demands just like Mclaren. Toyota then called it quits. We feel Raikkonen is going too far even though he is reportedly being paid Euros 20m not to drive for Ferrari.

He is not new to rallying either. He competed in his home rally in August in a Fiat Punto and was driving well before he crashed out. Frenchman Sebastian Loeb currently holds the record winning last 6 WRC titles. Kimi will get the best car – A C4 Citroen. Kaj Lindstrom, who partnered now-retired Tommi Makinen to four successive world titles in the 1990s will be Kimi’s co-driver.

France’s rising hope Sebastien Ogier will drive the junior team’s other car. Loeb and Spaniard Dani Sordo will continue to drive for the main Citroen team. Team boss Olivier Quesnel remarked: “We will continue to count on Sebastien and Dani to defend our world titles in 2010. “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 he has chosen Citroen.”

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