Kimi Raikkonen's rumoured switch to rallying could happen as early as next year, as latest reports appear to confirm that both Fiat and Volkswagen will enter the 2010 World Rally Championship.

The Financial Times reports this morning that Neil Duncanson - chairman of the TV company North One, which owns the WRC series - has confirmed that two new manufacturers are getting ready to replace Subaru and Suzuki, who pulled out at the end of last year.

If the two manufacturers are Fiat and VW as reported, it is possible that Fiat's entry may provide Ferrari with a means to terminate Kimi's F1 contract a year early to make way for Fernando Alonso - who has reportedly been given a five-year £175m contract to drive for Ferrari from 2010.

Raikkonen's exit from F1 would clearly be eased if the Fiat group were to offer him a factory drive in WRC instead. The Finnish driver recently entered (and crashed out of) Rally Finland at the wheel of a S2000 rally-spec Grande Punto. Despite his accident, his debut performance was widely praised within the WRC world.

Footage of Raikkonen's spectacular end to his WRC debut is below. 'It was fun, and nobody got hurt', the notoriously deadpan Finn said moments after the incident.