Kimi Raikkonen is no longer a candidate for a race seat at Red Bull, team boss Christian Horner has said.
Last year, the 2007 world champion – who left F1 in 2009 and has since been racing in the world rally championship as well as NASCAR – was linked with a return to formula one with the energy drink’s premier team.

Red Bull’s Austrian broadcaster Servus last week conducted a viewer survey about who should be Sebastian Vettel’s teammate next year.

Mark Webber received 26.2 per cent of the vote, ahead of Finn and former Ferrari and McLaren driver Raikkonen with 26.1. Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button received 17.4 and 16.4pc of the vote respectively.

“Kimi is a great driver,” Horner is quoted by Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat, “but I believe he has put F1 behind him.”

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 has ceased talks about his plans for the 2011 season following the death of his father Matti.
The major Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reports that the grief-stricken 31-year-old, who was reportedly considering switching teams for the next world rally championship, may even call time on his racing career.

Raikkonen was reportedly very close with his father, a road builder, who supported his sons’ careers from an early age and died suddenly at the age of 56 two days before Christmas.

“Since the death of Matti Raikkonen, all the plans (of Kimi Raikkonen) are on ice,” confirmed the Finn’s rally co-driver Kaj Lindstrom.

He added: “Let’s hope he stays in rallying. The chances of success are much better in the second year than the first, because you don’t have to be learning all sorts of things all of the time.”

Kimi Raikkonen’s plans for 2011 are still not secure, but the Finn appears unlikely to be returning to formula one any time soon.

The 2007 world champion looks set to either stay with Red Bull-sponsored Citroen next year or switch to another world rally championship team, despite earlier speculation suggesting he might go back to F1.

“Of course you always want to decide your next plans sooner rather than later, but sometimes it’s just not possible,” Raikkonen’s manager Steve Robertson told Turun Sanomat newspaper.

“I hope we will know what direction we are going by the end of November,” he added.

Robertson said the 31-year-old driver is likely to stay in rallying for now.

“We have not talked with anyone in F1,” he insisted. “Kimi hasn’t closed the door on it; you never say never in case the right offer comes along.”

He said Raikkonen, who cleared the way at Ferrari last year for the arrival of sponsor Santander and Fernando Alonso, would have done well this year at the wheel of the F10.

“I think he would have done pretty much the same as Fernando did,” said Robertson. “Fernando drove a great season and I don’t want to take anything away from him.

“I don’t want to be misunderstood, but I think Kimi would have done a good job in that car,” he insisted.

Kimi Raikkonen and his managers have sold their stakes in the British F3 team Raikkonen Robertson Racing.

The Woking based team will be renamed Double R Racing after Anthony Hieatt took over from the 2007 world champion and his managers Steve and David Robertson, according to reports.

“The Robertson family and Kimi have been very supportive throughout but it is time for all of us to take a different direction,” said Hieatt.

Raikkonen pulled out of formula one at the end of 2009 to compete full-time in the World Rally Championship.

F1′s globalisation has made it harder for drivers from the sport’s traditional markets to find places on the grid.

That is the claim of Austrian Christian Klien, who raced a few times with the struggling new team HRT in 2010 and is hoping for a full season next year.

But with pay-drivers now wielding more power than in the recent past, Klien admitted the task is tough.

“Nico Hulkenberg’s case shows that there are no guarantees,” he is quoted by Vorarlberg Online.

“He had a great debut year with a pole position in Brazil, and he’s out,” said Klien.

“In my own case, I have some options,” he revealed.

“The most obvious one of course is HRT, who are on the verge of establishing themselves as a serious competitor, even if there are some setbacks from time to time.

“In February there was not much of a team and I would not have believed I would contest three grands prix this year. And there’s still some time until March (2011),” added Klien.

He thinks part of his difficulty in establishing a strong full-time return to F1 is geographic.

“It is pretty hard when you are from central Europe,” said Klien, 27.

“F1 has internationalised very quickly and previously as a Briton, an Italian, a Frenchman, you had a good chance,” said the Austrian.

“Today there are more cockpits from before, but the driver market is being fed from many more countries; Russia, India, the southeast Asian region, and now probably Korea and China.

“And if you’re the eighth German, then it is very difficult. Look at France and Italy — 20 years ago there were ten of each. And today?”

The other problem is the economic climate, and the power wielded by drivers who carry substantial commercial backing.

“Even a big name like Kimi Raikkonen in the world rally championship is relying on sponsors to get his cockpit,” said Klien.

“And in F1 the teams are under enormous cost pressure,” he added.

Sebastien Loeb has played down speculation he could follow up his all-conquering world rally career with a stint in formula one.

Just as F1′s 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen was deciding to switch to the world rally championship late last year, seven-time consecutive WRC title winner Frenchman Loeb was eyeing his grand prix debut.

But the 36-year-old has now told CNN that is it “too late” for him to seriously consider switching to formula one.

“I don’t think it’s (a) potential for the future,” said Loeb.

But he revealed he came close to driving for Toro Rosso in Abu Dhabi last year.

Loeb said “everything was planned to do the last race of the season and the FIA didn’t give me the licence for that”.

“Now I’m 36 years old and when you see some young drivers coming in, they’re 20 years old, so maybe’s it’s a bit too late.

“If I have the opportunities to drive a formula one car, for sure I will take it, but I’ve got no plan to do a career in that,” he added.

Loeb will rally again in 2011, but he is not sure what he will do beyond that.

“I will maybe have some other plans, but not especially in formula one,” he said.

As he prepares to commit for another year to world rallying, Kimi Raikkonen insists he does not regret his decision to leave formula one.

A year after leaving Ferrari to join Citroen in the world rally championship, the 2007 world champion was linked with a return to F1 with Renault.

With that move ruled out, however, reports suggest Raikkonen is recommitting to rallying for 2011, despite some critics suggesting he has crashed too much and not been fast enough.

“Rally is like a national sport in Finland,” he is quoted by L’Equipe.

“I grew up following all the great drivers. I have always wanted to try this sport; it was not a rash decision.

“At the end of last year,” Raikkonen explained, “I had an opportunity and seized it, and I have really enjoyed it.

“Few people have the chance to do rallying at this level and I want to put into practice everything I learned this year,” he added.

The Volkswagen group is not going to enter formula one.

That is the conclusion on Tuesday of a report in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper.

Last month, following speculation the German giant was considering entering F1 with Audi or Porsche branding, it emerged that VW would discuss the possibility during a meeting in early November.

The FAZ newspaper, citing definite but unnamed sources, now says Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piech has decided the marque will not be entering F1.

Interestingly, the report said Red Bull and McLaren had expressed their interest in being supplied engines by Volkswagen.

FAZ said VW is still interested in entering the world rally championship, as well as operating two programmes – with Porsche and Audi – at Le Mans.

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.

Niki Lauda has scoffed at suggestions Kimi Raikkonen might seriously be considering a return to formula one next year.

The 2007 world champion’s rally contract with Citroen is nearing an end, amid speculation that a seat next year with Renault is a possibility.

“Never ever,” triple world champion Lauda, 61, told the Austrian newspaper Osterreich.

“One hears that he is enjoying himself more than ever.  He’s not serious enough to think about coming back to formula one,” said the Austrian.

Lauda also criticised the Finn for “not achieving very much” during his debut season in the world rally championship this year.

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.

Eric Boullier has dropped some big hints about the possible identity of Robert Kubica’s teammate at Renault in 2011.

The team is weighing up whether to keep Vitaly Petrov, the Russian rookie who is substantially financed, or push ahead with initial discussions with potential replacements.

The highest profile potential successor is Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion who agreed to leave Ferrari at the end of last year and has since been driving full time in the world rally championship.

“Yes, Kimi has been in contact with us, but we’re not yet in discussion,” Boullier is quoted by Auto Hebdo in the Singapore paddock.

“It could be a scenario if we decide not to keep Vitaly.

“What is certain is that if we decide to go back into talks with Raikkonen, I want to meet him to really assess the true motivation for his return,” added Boullier, amid reports the 30-year-old Finn is primarily looking to replace his Ferrari income that is soon to end.

“Whether it’s Kimi Raikkonen or someone else, I want him to be super-motivated to race with us.  Whether he’s Finnish, Chinese or French-Swiss, he has to prove he is motivated,” said Boullier.

The nationalities cited by Boullier almost certainly refer to Renault reserve driver Ho-Pin Tung (Chinese) and the newly Gravity-managed Romain Grosjean (French-Swiss).

Also linked with Renault have been Adrian Sutil, and Spain’s AS newspaper reports that Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari has also been in contact with the Enstone based team.

Peter Sauber, Raikkonen’s first team boss in 2001, told the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat: “Personally, I’d be glad if Kimi came back.  He is so different and talented.”

Nick Heidfeld added: “He would be able to come back without the slightest problem.  I have not been driving for a long time and yet I feel I have come back with exactly the same feeling.”

And Kubica, Raikkonen’s potential teammate, commented: “If I was in Kimi’s position, I might stay in rallying.

“But I’m not saying that because I want him to stay there,” added the Pole, who like Raikkonen is a rallying aficionado.

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.