Just like we told you on November 28th, Kimi Raikkonen was close to a deal with Citroen WRC. Now, it’s official: Kimi Raikkonen will drive the Citroen WRC in 2010, starting in 12 rounds of the World Rally Championship.
We were saying that Kimi and Sebastian Loeb will team up, but it seems that things are not like this. Raikkonen signed with Citroen’s second squad, the Junior World Rally Team, where he will meet his co-driver Kaj Lindstrom – who co-drove Tommi Makinen. Anyway this would not be the first time the two meet, as the two Finns raced last year in WRC Neste Oil Rally of Finland in a Abarth Grande Punto S200.
Even though Junior World Rally Team sound a bit… errr “junior” thing are a not so easily taken, as the new formed team will only miss the New Zealand Rally.
“I always wanted to compete in rally, especially in the World Rally Championship,” said the Former Formula 1 champion, then continued an thanked Red Bull, his personal sponsor: “Thanks to Red Bull, I have the opportunity to drive the best car of the series with the Citroen C4. 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. I am really looking forward t otesting the car and taking the start of the first rally.”
Citroen Racing Director, Olivier Quesnel unveiled team’s plans for 2010: “We will continue to count in Sebastien and Dani to defend our world titles in 2010, and we will also be prolonging our association with Sebastian Ogier who showed outstanding potential this year. Last but not least, it is with immense joy, it is with immense joy that we welcome Kimi Raikkonen to our ranks. We are very proud that he has chosen Citroen. In addition to the confirmation of these four crews, we will hopefully be able to announce other programmes over the coming weeks.”
Up, up and away!!!
Sebastian Ogier, aged 25, is driving the Red Bull Citroen C4 WRC, just like his new team-mate, Kimi Raikonen, and he is dubbed to be one of the future stars of the World Rally Championship.
We hope that those three non-championship rallies, Kimi entered this year, and the Rally Finland experience, will help the former Ferrari F1 Team Driver do with the C4 what he did with the Grande Punto S200 – crash it in the second day of the rally.
Raikkonen and Loeb during a Press Conference in Jyvaskyla, Finland
A coincidence or not, Raikkonen and Lindstorm’s first race in the C4 will be the on the Arctic Lapland Rally, the opening round of the Finnish Championship, where Kimi crashed his own Fiat Abarth Grande Punto S200. The event will take place on January 28 and starts from Rovaniemi, on the edge of the Arctic Circle.
Anyway, Raikonen, the mibz.com team wishes you good luck!
A sad day for the F1 world. I hope Ferrari fails miserably this upcoming season, and I’m confident that they will just as soon as Felipe takes up his arrogance with Fernando. Unlike Kimi, Fernando will wine like the baby that he is just as soon as the favourtism kicks in. Old Lady Karma’s has a tendency to bite. Let’s not soon forget where The Scuderia would have finished last season without the effort put forth by Kimi. The F60 had no business being on the podium on the best of days, let alone, winning in Spa.
At the other end of the equation, The WRC has attained and enormous talent. God Speed Kimi. F1 will miss you regardless of what has been recently said in many tabloids. May you now conquer the narrow, twisted, death defying, gravel and tarmac stages of the world.
The “Iceman” still has more to give.
It’s for his own good, Adrian. Imagine Kimi not driving at all in 2010. That would have been a real waste of talent. But, don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll be back next year. Just let him see what real driving means there in WRC, the competition that gathers the best drivers in the world.
[...] Here is a strange post: Official: Kimi Raikkonen, The 2007 Formula 1 Champion, Signed For … [...]