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Kimi
Raikkonen is understood to be ready 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.
Solberg:
Kimi has top five potential
Petter
Solberg believes that should Kimi Raikkonen commit to a full WRC
season in 2010 he would adapt quickly to the sport and could
challenge for top five finishes before the end of the year.
Solberg,
who won the World Rally Championship in 2003, has a unique
perspective on the Finn's potential, having this year driven both
a Ferrari F1 car at the Fiorano test track in Italy and a C4 World
Rally Car - the car Raikkonen is expected to drive - on two rounds
of the WRC.
Talking
exclusively to wrc.com, Solberg ruled out a WRC victory for
Raikkonen next year but felt his F1 championship winning
background would stand him in good stead.
"With
the proper practise planning and testing I think he will adapt
quickly," said Solberg. "He's a very, very good driver,
and once he's learned the basics, like how to work with pace notes,
I think he will surprise many people. We've already seen how quick
he was in Finland in a Super 2000 car, and if he's in a decent
World Rally Car next season I think he could finish between third
and fifth on some rallies. The fact is, if you can drive, you can
drive."
Solberg
is confident Raikkonen would cope well with the transition from
his 2009 season Ferrari F60 car to a four-wheel drive World Rally
Car. "This year I've driven a Formula 1 car and a Le Mans car
and it's the same as rallying; you have to attack and push,"
explained Solberg. "You have to be on the case and you need
some balls. I think it’s all about understanding how to push and
Kimi has proved he can do that."
Raikkonen
is widely expected to drive a Citroen C4 WRC in 2010, a car which
- along with the Ford Focus RS WRC - Solberg rates highly. "Both
the C4 and the Ford work very well are quite easy to drive,"
he said. "They are both consistent, predictable handling cars
that do the correct thing - just in slightly different ways. I
think he could adapt very quickly to either of them."
Asked
what advice he would offer Raikkonen before his first stage,
Solberg said: "Just nail it." |