Kimi Raikkonen could have succeeded in the WRC if he had stuck at it, that's the view of his former co-driver Kaj Lindstrom.

Raikkonen took the decision to switch to the WRC in 2010, but at the end of last year the Finn called time on his rallying foray and opted to return to F1 with Lotus. During his time in the WRC he managed a number of top-ten finishes, his best result coming in Turkey when he was fifth.

“It would have taken some time but he would have made it,” Lindstrom told the official WRC site this week. “All his career he has been racing himself on the circuit and driving with his eyes. In rallying you can't drive with your eyes, you have to rely on your pace notes and to learn that way of thinking would have taken some more time.

“It was good to race with him, though, and I enjoyed it very much, he's a nice person and it was fun.

“But when he started to talk about returning to F1 I know that's his world and rallying was just a hobby for him so it's understandable he went back.

“But he really enjoys rallying and I'm sure he would love to do some more rallying in the future.”