Formula One news: Raikkonen close to Citroen WRC deal - GPUpdate.net Formula One


According to the official World Rally Championship website Kimi Raikkonen is about to sign a deal with Citroen to drive a C4 World Rally Car on all 13 rounds of the 2010 World Rally Championship.

Nothing is signed yet, but a source close to the 2007 F1 World Champion told wrc.com that only small details needed to be tied-up before an official announcement is made in the coming days.

The Finn's 2010 WRC programme is understood to have been funded by Red Bull, one of Raikkonen's personal sponsors, and a major backer of Citroen's World Rally campaign.

Long time rally fan Raikkonen is able to tackle the World Rally Championship season thanks to his decision to take a one year sabbatical from Formula 1.

Raikkonen's only WRC experience to date came on this year's Rally Finland, where he impressed in an Abarth Grande Punto S2000. Despite engine problems he was placed 15th overall when he crashed his car into a ditch on the second day.

If Raikkonen does make the switch to Citroen power for 2010, he'll be in good company. Six-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb has won 26 rallies in the C4 and recently admitted it was his favourite competition car of all time.

 

Good for him to still find a way to keep racing even if it's not in F1. Hopefully he'll manage to make it through a season without wrecking too many cars...

 

Finnish tv-channel MTV3 has received confirmation from "a reliable source" that Raikkonen has signed a deal with Citroën satellite team to race in WRC series for season 2010. MTV3 continues that the contract with Citroën includes an option to switch to race in Formula 1 in 2011 with Red Bull Racing. Raikkonen is backed up financially by his personal sponsor Red Bull energy drink in this contract.