4.12.2009 11:57

Kimi Räikkonen joins WRC with Citroën

Citroën has announced that Kimi Räikkonen will join its World Rally Championship line-up in a Red Bull-backed Citroen Junior Team car. Like in his earlier rally outings Kimi will be accompanied by Kaj Lindström. The 2007 Formula 1 World Champion will contest 12 WRC rounds in 2010.

Kimi Räikkönen will be joined in the Red Bull Citroen team by former Junior WRC champion Sebastien Ogier, who completed an impressive WRC rookie season last year. Raikkonen made his top flight rallying debut in an S2000 Abarth at his home round of Neste Oil Rally Finland earlier this year, earning the respect of the series regulars for the speed with which he adapted to driving on the stages. Earlier in the year he was also seen in the Finnish Rally Championship, making his mark among the Championship regulars.

Citroen team boss Olivier Quesnel said he was delighted by Red Bull´s increased involvement, and that they had such a strong Junior line-up in Raikkonen and Ogier alongside factory drivers Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo.