Magny Cours is still in the race to host France’s return to formula one.

But according to RMC, the race’s former host – having run the French grand prix between 1991 and 2008 – has been handed a much higher price-tag than Paul Ricard.

Just before Nicolas Sarkozy lost the recent presidential election, the basis of an agreement to annually alternate a French GP with Belgium’s Spa Francorchamps was agreed.

The 2013 host would be Paul Ricard, the Bernie Ecclestone-owned circuit, and the race fee EUR 22 million.

Politics, it seems, have intervened.

Francois Hollande, France’s new president, is not a supporter of the grand prix, and vowed to re-evaluate the sport’s return to the country.

RMC reports that officials at Magny Cours have used the opportunity to “repeatedly” contact F1 chief executive Ecclestone in recent days.

The Nievre region is politically aligned with the new administration, but Ecclestone is reportedly “asking EUR 10 million more” for a race at Magny Cours.

Politics, however, could also be on Paul Ricard’s side, with Citroen’s former world rally boss Olivier Quesnel reportedly lined up to lead the F1 project.

Quesnel is reportedly close to FIA president Jean Todt, and the pair apparently met earlier this week.

Kimi Raikkonen can pull out of the 2011 world rally championship to return to F1 if he wants to.
That is the claim of Citroen’s rally chief Olivier Quesnel, amid reports the 2007 world champion is now contractually committed to rallying for this season.

The Finn and his management have not yet responded to multiple attempts by the formula one media to confirm rumours that Raikkonen, 31, is a candidate to replace the injured Robert Kubica at Renault this year.

After making his full-time world rally debut with Citroen last year, the former McLaren and Ferrari driver has announced he will drive a Citroen DS3 under the Ice 1 entry in 2011.

“If he wants to leave, I couldn’t say anything because he is a client,” Quesnel told RMC Sport.

“He has rented a car from us and drives with his own sponsors,” added the Citroen boss.

“I suppose there may be considerable pressure from Bernie Ecclestone, the FIA and the whole world of F1 who want to see him come back because he is still an emblematic driver for the sport.”

However, Quesnel indicated that he doesn’t think Raikkonen is too keen to go back to F1.

“If he is taking phone calls, they would have to be very convincing to get him back there,” he said.

Kimi Raikkonen has ended speculation about his motor racing career by signing up for another season of the world rally championship (WRC).

After talks about a possible return to F1 broke down, and then the death of his father Matti two days before Christmas, rumours had suggested F1′s 2007 world champion might hang up his helmet.

Having made his debut with Citroen’s junior team in 2010, the 31-year-old Finn has now formed his own team called ICE 1 Racing to run a Citroen DS3 WRC.

L’Equipe in France said the team is funded by Raikkonen’s own sponsors.

The WRC confirmed that his entry for the opening Swedish rally was received “shortly” before this week’s deadline.

L’Equipe said Raikkonen’s has committed to 10 of the 13 rallies in 2011.

“With Kimi’s limited experience, it may be better to do additional testing while the others are competing,” his manager Steve Robertson told Finland’s Turun Sanomat.

The 2011 season begins in mid February.

Raikkonen told the official WRC website that he considered returning to F1 this year.

“Of course I thought about it, because you think about everything,” he said. “But I never really thought seriously about it, because actually I didn’t miss formula one at all this season.”

Kimi Raikkonen’s manager has admitted the Finn is no longer interested in returning to formula one in 2011.

The 2007 world champion had been linked with a comeback next year with the Renault team, but reports this week revealed that talks about extending his deal with the world rally team Citroen are well advanced.

“We are no longer looking out for opportunities for formula one,” manager Steve Robertson told Finnish television MTV3.

“Kimi seems to be focused on rallying at the moment,” he added.

It has been rumoured that an alternative rally team in 2011 for Raikkonen, who currently drives for Citroen with Red Bull sponsorship, is the Monster energy drink-backed Ford team.

“We are having discussions with several different teams and I cannot say more,” said Robertson.

Kimi Raikkonen is reportedly close to deciding to stay in the world rally championship with Red Bull and Citroen next year.

After F1′s world champion of 2007 quelled speculation he is looking to return to formula one next year with Renault, Citroen’s competition boss has now revealed that talks between Raikkonen and his sponsor Red Bull are well advanced.

“I know the negotiations are progressing well for Kimi to stay in the Citroen junior team,” Olivier Quesnel reportedly told Autosprint magazine in Italy.

“I don’t know when something will be officially announced,” he acknowledged.

It had been rumoured that energy drink Red Bull’s enthusiasm for the Citroen junior team project had waned.

More rumours had linked Raikkonen, 31, with a move to Ford, with funding from the Monster energy drink.

Citroen is waiting for Kimi Raikkonen to decide whether to stay with the French marque in the world rally championship next year.

The Finn is reportedly considering returning to formula one in 2011 with Renault, while some insiders believe he is much more likely to stay at least another season in his new discipline.

Benoit Nogier, team manager at the Citroen Junior Team, said the door is open for the 30-year-old.

“At the moment there is no commitment from Kimi for next year,” he told French radio RMC.

“Up to now he has showed appreciation for what he is doing and the desire to continue.

“He is the master of his destiny so it’s up to him to tell us if he wants to be with us next year or not.  I will be very happy to welcome him if he wants to continue,” added Nogier.

He said there is no great rush for Raikkonen to decide.

“We’re not talking about a deadline because it’s too early.  As the days go by you eventually reach the time to make a decision,” he explained.

Vitaly Petrov has moved into pole position to keep his Renault seat in 2011, with German sources reporting that three potential alternate candidates are now out of the running.

And the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat said Citroen rally driver Kimi Raikkonen “has never been interested” in returning to formula one next year with anything other than a title-contending car.

The German sources said Adrian Sutil, Nick Heidfeld and Timo Glock are no longer talking to Renault, because the Enstone based team is now on the verge of re-signing the Russian rookie Petrov.

Insiders suspected that political moves were afoot when team boss Eric Boullier said he would only take Raikkonen’s apparent interest seriously if the reticent Finn met with him to prove his motivation.

“I want to understand more about his wish to come back,” the Frenchman is quoted by The Sun newspaper.

As for Petrov, Boullier said he wants the 26-year-old to show more potential: “If he is already at the limit, then it is a different matter.”

The Turun Sanomat report surmised that this, and the Raikkonen story, is to put “additional pressure on Petrov and his sponsors”.

“I am not worried,” Petrov said last week in Singapore when asked about those reportedly eyeing the 2011 race seat alongside Robert Kubica.

“Why must I worry?  They must worry.  I think I will continue to do my job and I think everything looks good,” he added.

Kimi Raikkonen insists he still has not decided whether or not to stay in the world rally championship next year.

The 2007 world champion left formula one at the end of last season despite remaining under lucrative contract to Ferrari, and has since been driving full time for Red Bull-sponsored Citroen.

But in recent days he has been linked with a return to F1 next year with Renault, and the WRC’s official website wrc.com said a sabbatical or a renewed tenure in rallying are also possibilities for the Finn in 2011.

“I’m enjoying it (rallying) so far,” he is quoted as saying on Friday, “but I’ve not made up my mind what I’m doing yet.

“Quite soon I hope I will know but there is no rush,” added the 30-year-old.

Kimi Raikkonen has once again refused to shed any light on his plans for 2011.

It is expected that the 2007 world champion intends to stay at least another year in the world rally championship.

But Citroen recently announced that Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier are staying put, without mentioning the future of Finn Raikkonen, who has also been linked with a return to formula one.

When asked on Thursday ahead of the Finnish rally if there is any news about his plans, the 30-year-old answered: “No, not yet. We have some decisions to make and I haven’t done that yet.

“I can honestly say that I do not know,” he added in a separate interview.

FIA president Jean Todt told Turun Sanomat newspaper that he respects Raikkonen’s decision last year to move to rallying.

“When he wanted a new challenge, it was very courageous to pick rally. But F1 is a constant pressure so I can understand why Kimi wanted to do something else,” said the Frenchman.

“What I can say is that if the reigning champion Jenson Button, or whoever wins this year’s title should go to rallying, he would not be at the same level of Kimi in their first season,” added Todt.

Both Raikkonen and Todt refused to comment on the Ferrari team orders scandal.

“I’m not in formula one, so I don’t care what’s happening there,” said the Finn.

And Todt added: “We will deal with it in due course, but I don’t want to talk about F1 now.”

The signs are growing that Kimi Raikkonen will keep rallying next year rather than return to formula one.
The 2007 world champion has been linked with both Renault and Mercedes for 2011, but reports on Thursday said Raikkonen, 30, is close to agreeing a new deal with the Red Bull-sponsored world rally team Citroen.

At the same time, Raikkonen’s current co-driver Kaj Lindstrom has told Turun Sanomat newspaper that the Finn has all the necessary talents and “only lacks experience”.

“The hard work is now beginning to pay off,” he added.

Jun.7 (GMM)  Kimi Raikkonen has admitted a return to formula one is “possible”.

But in an interview with Austria’s Kleine Zeitung, the 2007 world champion also sounded more than happy with his new foray in world rallying, and not keen to immediately switch back to the grand prix grid.

During an event for his sponsor Red Bull, the 31-year-old Finn answered “Sure, anything is possible” when asked if he is open to launching a second F1 career.

But when asked if he still feels like ‘Raikkonen, the F1 driver’, he said: “The past is what it is — over.  I don’t miss it.”

And Raikkonen raved about his new job with Citroen.

“I love this job and the whole environment.  But I have much to learn and I want to be good at what I do.  With a relaxed setting you do not go far.”

Asked whether he would like to add a rally title to his F1 championship, Raikkonen admitted: “No one can see into the future, but yes, it is a dream.

“Now it is the time to learn; my formula one past does me no harm.”

He said rally is a more difficult discipline than F1.

“Because it’s constantly changing; the weather, the surface, the track.  You have to be flexible, adjusting and responding quickly.”

When asked which is more fun, he did not hesitate: “Rally!  Because there are always new challenges.”

Kimi Raikkonen’s manager has refused to rule out the prospect of the 2007 world champion returning to formula one.

When Ferrari ended its contract with the 30-year-old Finn one year early, Raikkonen signed up with Red Bull sponsorship to race a Citroen full-time in the 2010 world rally championship.

It had been rumoured that a return to F1 with Red Bull Racing in 2011 was a possibility, but the energy drinks-owned team is now expected to renew on-form Mark Webber’s contract for another season.

“Kimi has committed himself to rallying and he seems to be enjoying that environment,” team boss Christian Horner said in Turkey last weekend.

However, Finland’s Turun Sanomat reports that it was Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko most interested in replacing Australian Webber with Raikkonen.

Manager Steve Robertson said he is not sure what Raikkonen is going to do in 2011.

“We have not had any discussions in any direction for next season,” he said.

“There will be a time when Kimi will think about what he wants to do.”

When asked if Raikkonen’s F1 career is over, Robertson answered: “Never say never.”

(GMM)

Red Bull Racing has played down suggestions Kimi Raikkonen was a serious contender for a seat in 2011.

As the team edges closer to re-signing Mark Webber for next year, boss Christian Horner was asked if there was any truth to recent reports linking Raikkonen with the Australian’s seat.

“No.  Kimi has committed himself to rallying and he seems to be enjoying that environment,” he is quoted by The Guardian.

Finn Raikkonen, 30, left Ferrari and formula one at the end of last year to drive a Red Bull-sponsored Citroen in the world rally championship.

The 2007 world champion took in the recent Monaco grand prix from his yacht ‘Iceman’ and attended several parties, but never once stepped into the F1 paddock.

The Telegraph quoted Horner as saying Webber, 33, is close to signing a new deal for 2011.

“We’re just dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s now,” he said.  “I would expect something will be announced within the next couple of weeks.”

Meanwhile, Felipe Massa sounded happy with the news that Ferrari is likely to retain him for next year.

“Let’s wait a bit to see what happens, but definitely I would like to stay here,” said the Brazilian.

Renault’s Robert Kubica admitted it is possible he will leave the Enstone team after just one year.

“There will be a time to think about whether I should stay or leave Renault,” said the Pole.

In a sport and a paddock from which he is supposed to be banned, Flavio Briatore is making his presence solidly felt this weekend in Monaco.

With the crashgate scandal still fresh in the memories of F1 regulars, Briatore’s huge yacht Force Blue was spotted earlier this week in the Monte Carlo harbour.

The 60-year-old, implicated in the Singapore 2008 race-fixing scandal and banned for life by the FIA last year, then made his first personal appearance of the event by attending a party on Vijay Mallya’s nearby Indian Empress yacht on Thursday night.

With Jean Todt now in charge of the governing body in the wake of Max Mosley’s reign, a recent ban settlement means that Briatore and his crash conspirator Pat Symonds will be allowed to work in F1 again in 2013.

But the original World Motor Sport Council ban had ordered officials “not to permit Mr Briatore access to any areas” at FIA-sanctioned events.

On Friday in Monaco, Briatore lunched with Bernie Ecclestone, the Italian’s friend and business partner who has issued the ousted Renault boss a paddock pass as his personal guest.

Todt told the Associated Press that Briatore, wearing a blue t-shirt, is “free” to be inside the paddock because he does not have an “active role” with a team.

Meanwhile, spotted aboard his yacht ‘Iceman’ in the Monaco habour on Friday was the Citroen rally driver Kimi Raikkonen.

(GMM)

Apr.28 (GMM)  Kimi Raikkonen insists he still has not made a decision about returning to formula one in 2011.

After agreeing to end his Ferrari contract a year early late in 2009, the Finn signed on with Red Bull and Citroen and then endured a difficult and crash-laden start to his new career in the World Rally Championship.

But early this month in Jordan, 30-year-old Raikkonen became the first driver since Carlos Reutemann to score points in both F1 and world rallying.

And then shortly after declaring he is not missing formula one, he finished less than 7 minutes behind winner Sebastien Loeb in Turkey for fifth place.

But when asked if his recent results make it more likely he will stick with rallying in 2011, Raikkonen told Turun Sanomat newspaper: “It has not turned in any direction.

“There is no rush for me to make decisions.  We’ll have to see what are the possibilities and what for me is the most interesting — what I enjoy the most and what it is I most want to do,” he added.

“We will see at a point some time later this year,” said Raikkonen.

Famously not fond of F1′s off-track activities and pressures, and ruing the lost days of characters like James Hunt, Raikkonen’s observers agree that he seems happier in the rallying world.

“If the F1 world could go back 20 years, it would be the same as rallying now,” he said.  “It (rallying) is still professional but in just a bit more of a relaxed style.”