Olivier Quesnel has had his share of people tapping him on the back after he hired Kimi Räikkönen.

Even though there is no success in the top to be expected, Räikkönen lifts the visibility of WRC many notches upwards - both in Finland and all over the world. Red Bull's financed Räikkös-purchase has brough a lot of gratitude to Citroen-team's boss.

- Everybody has said that I made the deal of the century. I'm also excited that we got Kimi, Quesnel said.

He will meet Räikkönen personally next week.

Quesnel isn't the only rally boss who has a smile on his face after Kimi moved to rally.

Thanks to Räikkönen and the American star Ken Block, the letter combination WRC will be on the lips of a bigger audience. And that suits North One Sport's Marketing Manager Simon Long well.

- We are very pleased that we have two incredible talents who also are stars worldwide, Long told on WRC-website.

- Along with millions of fans even I am excited when I get to see how Kimi and Ken will get a grip of those different cars and challenging circumstances that makes the WRC-serie the world's most diversed motorsport genre.

Räikkönen has become known due to his F1-achievements but Block has a slighty different background. As an American Block is especially known to the American audience from the extreme-genres.

He has competed with a skateboard, snowboard, motocross-bike as well as with a rally-car.

During seasons 2010 and 2011 Block, 42, will drive part of the WRC-rallies with Ford Focus. He already has experience from a couple of WRC-rallies from earlier years in the N-group.

Kalle Takala