Times are tough in Formula 1 these days and what are you to do when your team announces it will not enter the 2010 championship? Well if you are Kimi Raikkonen, you go rally.
The Finnish F1 driver has been participating on and off with rally in the off season and will now contest the Rally della Marca. His ride of choice you ask? The same Tommi Makinen-prepared Fiat Abarth Grande Punto S2000 he ran this off season. The rally will take place between Turkey and Monaco and will be the first asphalt rally for Kimi.
Kimi perhaps should focus hard on this rally gig because as we have been hearing in the press as of late, he may not have a ride in Formula 1 next year if Ferrari depart due to rule changes in the sport. Kimi has stated a number of times that rally is something the Fin wants to do after F1 but is still contracted to race for Ferrari until the end of the 2010 season. Kimi has had offers to test WRC with Ford and seeing as though Jari Matti Latvala has been slacking off…a seat may open before too long. However, WRC are going through a lot of the same issues F1 are experiencing and it is maybe a good idea to look into IRC. Kimi will be running another race in the Super 2000 which has found a home in the IRC. While it has also been adopted by WRC, there may be rule changes that see the S2000 be short lived. While Kimi would bring a very marketable name to WRC, I would think that IRC at this time is just a little better fit.
I can totally see Kimi rally racing for Fiat in 2010. It really is a perfect fit for him. …and more time for ice cream. 😉
Fiat would be fun…like I said though…I would not mind him racing for ford. I do t care what Malcolm Wilson says…jari is junk and I would ha e fired him for driving my car off a cliff.