Kimi Raikkonen is rumoured to be leaving Ferrari at the end of the season to compete in the 2010 World Rally Championship.

The rumours are strengthened by the fact that both Fiat and Volkswagen have confirmed they will be entering the series next year. According to the Financial Times, Neil Duncanson, chairman of the TV company North One (who own the WRC series) has confirmed that Fiat and Volkswagen will be replacing Subaru and Suzuki.

Having tried his hand at WRC in a Fiat Punto earlier this year, it would not come as a shock to many if the Finnish driver chose to leave Ferrari a year early and make the move to WRB. Although Raikkonen is currently contracted to Ferrari until the end of 2010, many believe that the team may offer him a deal which would allow him to leave F1 and pave the way for Alonso to replace him. If rumours are to be believed, Ferrari have already offered the Spanish driver a £175 million contract to drive for Ferrari from 2010.

Raikkonen recently participated in Rally Finland. His Fiat Grande Punto suffered from engine trouble and although he eventually crashed out of the race, Raikkonen ended up finishing in 15th place and his performance was praised by many,

more at http://www.forumula1.net/2009/f1/drivers/raikkonen-to-lead-fiats-wrc-challenge/

Sebastien Loeb has praised Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen's performance after the Finn made his World Rally Championship debut at the weekend.

29-year-old Raikkonen ultimately crashed out of the event with a spectacular roll into a ditch, but he was classified 15th overall and was running third in his class at the time.

"I think he did really well," Frenchman Loeb, a multiple WRC champion and second overall in Finland, said.

"He was about one second per kilometre from Hanninen and the other best drivers and in Finland that is a very good performance," he added.

Rally winner Mikko Hirvonen added: "I have the same thoughts as Sebastien; I think he did really well, considering he has only ever done two rallies with pace notes.  He was setting really good times."

more at http://www.f1complete.com/content/view/13789/900/

All of a sudden, Formula One drivers in rallying are like taxi cabs: You wait for ages for one to turn up, and then they all arrive at once.

No sooner had 2007 F1 champion Kimi Räikkönen debuted in the World Rally Championship in Finland last weekend, than Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel appeared in the service area. Now comes news that Robert Kubica is interested in the sport, too, following his BMW team's sudden withdrawal from F1. If BMW cannot find a buyer for its F1 operation--and if the driver does not land a seat at another team in 2010--Kubica may well have a bit more time on his hands to switch to rallying. Word is that Kubica has bought himself an ex-factory Skoda Fabia WRC car, which he takes into the woods to play with occasionally.

But back to the man who started the current craze: Kimi Matias Räikkönen. Rallying runs in his family: Räikkönen's older brother, Rami, was a moderately successful rally driver, winning his class on Rally Finland before deciding to give it all up for a life of domestic contentment in the Finnish countryside. Rami remembers a young Kimi always wanting to “borrow” his rally cars. And while Kimi hit the heights of open-wheel racing, the rallying bug never quite went away.

“Driving on a circuit, where you can learn all the corners, is one thing,” he once said. “Driving flat-out through a forest on gravel is quite different. That sounds really fun.”

Having decided to give it a go, Räikkönen really had only one choice of car: the Abarth Grande Punto Super 2000. Like his Ferrari F60, this attractive little rally car is a well-developed child of the Fiat Group.

“I spoke to [Fiat and Ferrari chairman] Luca di Montezemolo about it. He was fine with it as he knows rallying,” Räikkönen said. “Then choosing the car was actually quite easy.”

Finland was not Räikkönen's first time in a rally car. He had competed in two national events in Finland this year, plus one in Italy. But it was by far the biggest challenge he has faced with a roof over his head, especially since he is in the middle of the F1 season.

Great Britain in 1990 was the last time an active F1 driver took part in a WRC event, when Derek Warwick--at the time a Lotus F1 employee--took part in the RAC Rally in a Subaru Legacy, which he retired on day three of four, while lying 13th. In 1996, Martin Brundle competed on the RAC Rally for the first time while he was a Jordan Grand Prix driver, but at the time, the RAC did not qualify as a full WRC event because of the calendar-rotation system. And don't forget that Räikkönen is an F1 champion. Jim Clark's appearance in a Lotus Cortina in the 1966 RAC event is the only other time that an F1 titleholder contested a major rally. So don't underestimate the importance of Räikkönen's effort.

The man best-placed to observe it was his co-driver, Kaj Lindstrom, who worked previously alongside four-time WRC champion Tommi Makinen.

“Kimi did an amazing job, better even than I expected,” Lindstrom said. “He just has a natural feel for the car, which allowed him to set times right up there with people who have far more experience than him.”

In fact, Räikkönen was running in third-in-class for the majority of the event, climbing up to an astonishing 15th overall before he was caught out on Saturday evening. His Punto slid slightly wide on a corner and then hit a rock, rolling it over twice and ripping off a wheel. The damage was unfortunately too great for the “Iceman” to continue, but he will be back.

“Rallying is certainly something I want to do more of,” he said. “For me, it's simply a question of finding the time. But if I find the time, I'd like to do it again.”

He's not the only one. Vettel kept a close eye on his F1 colleague's progress from the service park in Jyvaskyla.

“It's nearly as quick as F1, but with gravel and no run-off,” said the wide-eyed young German, on a visit as a guest of Citroën. “I was able to get some advice from Sébastien Loeb, and there's no one better to give it. I still have plenty to do in Formula One, but who knows: maybe one day I might compete in the WRC. I wouldn't mind doing some drives in the future.”

Don't be surprised when it turns out that he is not the only one.


For more World Rally racing news and reports, click here.



Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090807/WRC/908069990#ixzz0OOlqASNa

Living up to his 'Iceman' nickname, Kimi Raikkonen shrugged off his last stage roll in Finland today as 'part of the sport' and said his World Rally Championship debut had been good fun.

Despite engine problems today, Raikkonen was placed 15th overall when he crashed his Abarth Grande Punto S2000 on a left-hand corner, 3km from the start of the day's final stage, the 29.29km Vaarinmaja (SS19).

The car rolled into a ditch and although crowds of spectators managed to drag it back onto the road it was too badly damaged to carry on.

Minutes after the accident, Raikkonen said the crash was the result of putting his car in the wrong position on the approach to the corner. "I knew that place but I came in with too wide a line," he said, "I thought we were going to go wide but then, unfortunately, there were a lot of rocks and when I hit them the car went over."

"I thought we wouldn’t finish the rally because we had too many problems with the engine! But it was good fun and nobody got hurt. It happens - it's part of rallying," he added.

Back in the Service Park, Raikkonen's co-driver Kaj Lindstrom told wrc.com he was proud of what Kimi had achieved. "He proved he has the speed, which before the rally nobody knew for sure," he said. "Getting to the finish of the rally was the main thing here, but with the engine in such a bad shape we knew, realistically, that wasn't going to happen.

"Kimi wasn't overdriving to compensate for the engine, it was all down to being on the wrong line on a very tricky corner - the same one which caught out Mads Ostberg."

Lindstrom confirmed that the extent of the damage ruled out a SuperRally return on Sunday. He also said more rallies with Kimi were a possibility but wouldn't be drawn on when and where

By David Evans Saturday, August 1st 2009, 19:31 GMT


Tapio Laukkanen, former British Rally champion, now works for Tommi Makinen Racing, where he has overseen Kimi Raikkonen's World Rally Championship debut on Rally Finland this week. Laukkanen explains to AUTOSPORT what happened to the Ferrari Formula 1 star when he crashed out on the Vaarinmaja test today.

Q. What happened to Raikkonen?

Tapio Laukkanen: It was a tightening corner with a big rock on the outside. He went a little bit wide, hit the stone. That put the nose of the car into the ditch and he rolled two times or something. There were a few rocks around and they lost one wheel - the car was damaged and they couldn't drive it back.

Q. No chance of getting it back to superally tomorrow?

TL: No way. There is too much damage. There's no point to try and fix it for half a day tomorrow.

Q. And there were some engine problems today?

TL: The engine worked, but not like it should. There was a problem all through the day. We were hoping to find the solution for that tonight, but obviously it's too late now.

Q. What he's done has been pretty impressive, though?

TL: Oh yes. I am delighted to see how fast he can drive. But we saw this in the test, he's a big driver. He can drive nice with smooth lines - that's how he is. He's a big talent in the F1 and the same with motorbikes and the snow scooters, he's the same with all of those things.

Q. Did you sit with him in the test?

TL: I sat with him for a few laps. I was trying to do some things with the notes. Kaj [Lindstrom] was my co-driver also, so I was trying to help him.

Q. Has he had a good time?

TL: He has definitely enjoyed it. He was having a good time. But, of course, we were having come technical problems and it's not very good for him to see that kind of thing. But that's motorsport.

Q. But this is really the only car he can drive in the rally?

TL: Yes. That's part of his job.

Q. Will he be out again this year?

TL: I'm quite sure when he's not busy he wants to do some more

"It is nearly as quick as F1, but with no run off and on gravel. I was able to get some advice from Sebastien (Loeb), and there is no one better. I have plenty to do in F1 but, who knows.... maybe one day I will compete in the WRC. I wouldn't mind doing some drives in the future."

Raikkonen's WRC debut, meanwhile, ended in ignominy after the Ferrari star rolled his Abarth Grande Punto S2000 entry into a ditch on Vaarinmaja, the final stage of day two.

The Finn narrowly missed the Subaru of Mads Ostberg, which had crashed in the same place moments earlier but, with the car apparently beyond repair, exited the event.

Neither Raikkonen or co-driver Kaj Lindstrom were injured in the accident, which ended a run that had seen the 2007 F1 world champion running 15th overall, and third in Group N, despite having to contend with a damaged engine - a performance which impressed five-time world champion Loeb.

"I think he did really well," the Frenchman said, "He was about a second per kilometre (slower than Juho) Hanninen and the other best drivers and, in Finland, that is a very good performance.

Ford drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala shared Loeb's assessment of the Finn's debut, which followed just a handful of tarmac rally outings in Italy.

"I have the same thoughts as Sebastien," event winner Hirvonen commented, "I think he did really well, considering he has only ever done two rallies with pace notes before. He was setting really good times."

Latvala also referred to Raikkonen's lack of experience before tackling one of the world's toughest rallies.

"He did really well considering," the Finn noted, "Okay, he went off the road, but even I had a little moment in the same place. It is not an easy corner, and these things can happen."

Kimi Raikkonen’s first outing in the World Rally Championship came to a premature end on Saturday when the Ferrari Formula One driver crashed out of the Finland Rally. Raikkonen’s car rolled into a ditch three kilometres into the day’s final stage.

Raikkonen and co-driver Kaj Lindstrom were unhurt in the accident, but the Finn’s Fiat Grande Punto Abarth S2000 was too badly damaged to continue, despite being dragged back on to the road by a group of spectators. Raikkonen had been lying a strong third in class and 15th overall prior to the crash, despite experiencing engine and suspension problems earlier in the day.

Praising Raikkonen’s efforts behind the wheel on his first gravel rally, Lindstrom told the official WRC website: “He proved he has the speed, which before the rally nobody knew for sure. Getting to the finish of the rally was the main thing here, but with the engine in such a bad shape we knew, realistically, that wasn't going to happen. Kimi wasn't overdriving to compensate for the engine, it was all down to being on the wrong line on a very tricky corner.” [via f1.com]

Living up to his 'Iceman' nickname, Kimi Raikkonen shrugged off his last stage roll in Finland today as 'part of the sport' and said his World Rally Championship debut had been good fun.

Despite engine problems today, Raikkonen was placed 15th overall when he crashed his Abarth Grande Punto S2000 on a left-hand corner, 3km from the start of the day's final stage, the 29.29km Vaarinmaja (SS19).

The car rolled into a ditch and although crowds of spectators managed to drag it back onto the road it was too badly damaged to carry on.

Minutes after the accident, Raikkonen said the crash was the result of putting his car in the wrong position on the approach to the corner. "I knew that place but I came in with too wide a line," he said, "I thought we were going to go wide but then, unfortunately, there were a lot of rocks and when I hit them the car went over."

"I thought we wouldn’t finish the rally because we had too many problems with the engine! But it was good fun and nobody got hurt. It happens - it's part of rallying," he added.

Back in the Service Park, Raikkonen's co-driver Kaj Lindstrom told wrc.com he was proud of what Kimi had achieved. "He proved he has the speed, which before the rally nobody knew for sure," he said. "Getting to the finish of the rally was the main thing here, but with the engine in such a bad shape we knew, realistically, that wasn't going to happen.

"Kimi wasn't overdriving to compensate for the engine, it was all down to being on the wrong line on a very tricky corner - the same one which caught out Mads Ostberg."

Lindstrom confirmed that the extent of the damage ruled out a SuperRally return on Sunday. He also said more rallies with Kimi were a possibility but wouldn't be drawn on when and where. [via rtlbulvar.hu]

An engine problem with Kimi Raikkonen's car is threatening to end the F1 star's remarkable WRC debut on Rally Finland.
Raikkonen brought his Abarth Grande Punto S2000 through SS16 in fifteenth place overall, and is placed third in the Group N class, but before heading back to the Service Park the Finn said all was not well with the car.
"We have big problems with the engine - there's no power," explained Kimi. "Also we broke the front suspension when we went too much over a jump and that means we have no damping. We'll try and get the suspension fixed in service but unfortunately I don't think we can do much for the engine. We'll see how long it goes for."
The car made it back to Jyvaskyla, where Raikkonen's co-driver gave a frank mechanical update before checking into the Tommi Makinen Racing service area.
"The engine is about to go," he said. "There's a lack of power and hardly any torque, so we have to use the smaller gears in the corners, that's the biggest problem. It’s not game over just yet, though. There's not much they can do for the engine, we just have to hope it lasts, but there are other jobs to do. We had a big jump in Himos (SS15) and broke the dampers and the sump guard. Hopefully we can get out on the final three stages today - we're looking forward to them." [via rtlbulvar.hu]

Kimi Räikkönen’s skills behind the wheel in a rally car and as a test driver continue to amaze the F1 champion’s co-pilot, Kaj Lindström.

On Monday Räikkönen started two days’ testing session before the July-August’s WRC Rally, which he drives on a Fiat’s Super2000 car.

- As watching that speed, I have to lift my hat. Everything points to a super talent on a car handling. The car is all the time controlled by the driver, Lindström says after the test day.

Räikkönen has driven rally on snow and asphalt. The WRC Rally that is driven on fast gravel roads in Middle Finland is the first gravel race in his career. When Räikkönen goes for the first leg he has approximately 300 test kilometers driven on gravel.

- As a challenge, the race of Jyväskylä takes a whole new level compared to the races driven this far. It’s already like this because it’s the fastest rally in the world and it doubles Räikkönen’s experience in rally, Lindström is calculating.

Räikkönen’s main challenge is the noting of the route. His note language comes from an ex pro Tapio Laukkanen and Lindström who made the notes for him in Tunturi rally. Lindström believes that the noting won’t bring problems.

Surprisingly easily the road goes into a note by Kimi even though he has a little of experience. It’s not perfect but neither are the notes by the top names in rally, Lindström reminds.


Mäkinen supporting

To make Fiat suitable for Middle Finland’s fast gravel roads Räikkönen has received help from a former champion Tommi Mäkinen.

Kimi is a highly professional in tests too. While driving when he told that the front is doing this and that, and when Tommi is testing the car, he gives exactly the same feedback, Lindström says.

Super2000 car doesn’t have unlimited setting opportunities. In the tests the behavior of the car is changed by adjusting the suspension and differential locks.

The goal has been to find a logical package, a car that is not doing any extra moves. At the same time it’s been tried to give Kimi an opportunity to search for a feeling and routine for the car and gravel.

Räikkönen’s tests still continue for one day. The WRC Rally of Finland starts in Thursday, 30th of July from Jyväskylä.

from: mtv3 translation (Spessu)

The rumours have for a long time been putting Kimi aside from Ferrari. Even if they were to become true, the WDC would probably have no problems in getting a job.

Räikkönen has already proved his speed not only in F1 but also with a snow mobile and a rally car and the WRC would not mind at all if Räikkönen would in the future decide to take a more serious jump into rally. On the contrary, Räikkönen would be especially for the serie's marketing men a real dream come true.
- Our serie is alive due to heros and legends and there is nothing more greater than Kimi Räikkönen, Aftonbladet told the man marketing the WRC-rally, Simon Long, had told Autosport.

The union between Räikkönen and WRC isn't taken out of thin air. Räikkönen has already taken part in a few rallies.
- It's no secret that I like rally. I've liked it ever since I was a little boy, Räikkönen has told earlier.

In Long's papers the future of Räikkönen is quite obvious. He would like to see the Finn in a WRC-rally car more than anyone else.
- My pulse reacted immediately when I just heard his name. I would like to discuss with his people and give him the best opportunities to drive WRC-rally.

Kalle Takala translated by Nicole at kimiraikkonen.com/forum :).

Rümlang, 5 September 2005: Who can beat KIMI?
The TAG Heuer ambassador KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN from the Mercedes McLaren team launched an unusual challenge at the TAG Heuer event at the Rümlang kart circuit in Switzerland.

In front of 200 spectators, the Finn gave his utmost to complete a circuit in an electric racing kart in just 23.278 seconds. Ever ready to surprise us, Kimi also managed to complete a lap in 28.679 seconds in a simple rental kart.

Around 50 winners of the TAG Heuer competition raced against the champion, 2^nd in the F1 World Championship ranking. After detailed instructions from the TAG Heuer ambassador Sébastien Buemi (17), one of the most promising young hopefuls of Swiss motor racing, Kimi’s challengers were all ready to take on the mighty Finn!

90 crews had registered their intention to participate in Neste Oil Rally Finland at the close of entries. That is the highest number so far in any WRC qualifying round this year. The number of World Rally Cars in the list also equals this season´s record.

There are 18 World Rally Cars among the entries and 25 different nationalities are represented altogether.

All the teams signed for WRC are in the list, of course, led by championship rivals Mikko Hirvonen and Sebastian Loeb. A surprise addition is up-and-coming Finn Matti Rantanen, who has been nominated as a points-scoring driver for Munchi´s Ford WRT. Rantanen will be driving a Ford Focus WRC.

Another surprise is the entry of Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen, making his debut on this level. Like in his earlier rally outings Kimi will be driving an Abarth Grande Punto and is accompanied by Kaj Lindström. Further spice to the production category will be come from Juho Hänninen in a Skoda Fabia S2000.

10 drivers are chasing JWRC points in Finland, among their number a "Wild Card" entry for Kalle Pinomäki. There are also nine Ford Fiesta Sport Trophy International contestants and five FIA Pirelli Star Drivers, headed by local favourite Jarkko Nikara.

Ferrari Formula 1 driver Kimi Raikkonen will make his World Rally Championship debut when he contests his home round of the series, Rally Finland, next month.
Raikkonen has already competed in three rallies this year, but the Jyvaskyla-based ninth round of the WRC will be his first competitive outing on gravel. The Finn, who won the F1 world championship with Ferrari in 2007, tested the Abarth Grande Punto for two days in central Finland earlier this week.
Raikkonen will be co-driven by Kaj Lindstrom, the former co-driver of four-time world champion Tommi Makinen. Makinen's own racing team will run the Abarth for Raikkonen.
Lindstrom has contested Rally Finland 10 times, finishing sixth twice with Makinen, and admits the 29-year-old Raikkonen will face a difficult task when he starts his first WRC round.
"Rally Finland is not going to be easy for sure," said Lindstrom. "The rallies we have done so far have been smaller events, a three-day WRC round is much longer and more intense than those national events.
"And it doesn't just start with the rally, we have two days to go through the recce and make the notes. Kimi makes very good pace notes, but there will be pressure on for the recce."
Lindstrom added that his driver's absence of gravel experience will also make his task tougher next month.
"He has competed on snow and asphalt, but never gravel, but we have tested on gravel," said Lindstrom. "But one of the hardest things for Kimi will be the speed of this event. Rally Finland and the roads used are so fast, like nothing we have done before - that does take time.
"But, let's not forget, this guy is a pretty good driver! He's very talented and I'm sure he will cope fine."
Raikkonen finished 13th in the Arctic Rally in January, his rally debut. He returned to snow rallying and held seventh overall in the Vaakuna Rally, before putting the Abarth off the road and ending the event 17th. His asphalt debut came on the Rally della Marca in Italy in May, where he damaged a wheel and retired on the third stage.

via Autosport.com

Tommi Makinen's former co-driver Kaj Lindstrom has switched to the seat alongside Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari star's Abarth Grande Punto.
A 10-time veteran of Rally Finland, Lindstrom talks to AUTOSPORT about his 11th outing on his home round of the World Rally Championship.

Q. Where do you think you'll finish with Kimi Raikkonen on the next round of the World Rally Championship?
Kaj Lindstrom: We're not worried about the position. I have to remember, like you in the media have to remember that this is only his fourth ever rally - he's really junior in this part of the sport. Kimi is going to enjoy himself.

Q. What's the aim for the event?
KJ: We want to have three clean days with no problems, that's the only target we have set for ourselves.

Q. How much has he driven on gravel?
KJ: Not very much, we're testing for the first time today.

Q. How much of a test will he have?
KJ: We're doing a day and a half right now and then we'll do another two days closer to the event. The test is close to Jyvaskyla [the rally base] so it's going to be on roads similar to the event.

Q. What's going to be the biggest challenge for him?
KJ: I think the recce will be quite tough. Kimi's good at getting his notes down, but there are a lot of stages and a lot of kilometers to get through in two days; they're very long days. It's going to be busy and there's quite a lot of pressure in those two days.

Q. Anything else?
KJ: Probably the speed. These roads are so, so fast and we haven't done a high-speed rally before - and we all know what a high-speed rally Finland is. But then again, he's a very talented driver and we shouldn't forget that.

via Autosport.com

Le Mans 24-hour run on Saturday, the sender acted Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo considers that it is possible that Ferrari could soon take part in the legendary tallina competition.

Italian La Stampa newspaper interview Montezemolo was inspired to look at the Ferrari driver possible choices.

- Kimi Räikkönen and Felipe Massa would certainly be a good job. Then, of course, the test driver Marc Gené. I would welcome a few old familiar: Jean Alesin and Michael Schumacher, Montezemolo outlined.

Ferrari has announced that it Mansia Le plan if the team does not participate in the Formula ones-MM-series next season the rule because of the dispute.

- We are here to survey cars, and rules of the future, Montezemolo said.

Montezemolo called for re-strict tone of the international auto union to back the rule dispute.

- The FIA has to understand that now is the time to solve problems, not create more of them. A couple of years, the situation is resolved one way or another: either in one FIA, or the new World Series format. We are not interested in any F3 series. We want stability in the rules and not "gray area": if this year we, the McLaren and Renault, we have not been able to interpret the rules correctly, it means either that the rules were not clear or the fact that we are all messed up let - and we do not exist, Montezemolo said a recent diffuusorijupakkaan referring to.

World Rally Championship global promoter Simon Long said he would be "extremely interested" in talking to Kimi Raikkonen about the Finn's future beyond F1, according to Autosport magazine.

Raikkonen competed on his first asphalt rally last weekend, but crashed out of the event with a broken TCA on SS3, after suffering centre differential problems with the Punto from the start of the rally.

Kimi states that he is interested in contesting more rallies this season, with another two outings pencilled in for the Tommi Makinen Racing prepared Abarth Grande Punto S2000.

ISC CEO Simon Long commented to Autosport:

"Our sport is built on heroes and iconic figures - and they don't come any bigger than Kimi Raikkonen. Just the mention of his name has got my pulse racing.

I'd be more than willing to talk to his people to help out in any way we can. We've seen the attraction WRC holds for Valentino Rossi, and I'm sure it would be the same for Raikkonen."

29-year-old Raikkonen is contracted to Ferrari until the end of 2010.
Posted by RallyScott 6 June, 2009

The Ferrari pilot invades the opposite lane on the "Marca" roads in Treviso area. Long discussion, then Kimi pays 38 euro penalty

Kimi Räikkönen, Ferrari driver, was fined by the only policeman of Miane (Treviso), during his "recognition" lap along the route of the Rally of Marca. Raikkonen has paid without flinching an administrative fine of 38 euros for having invaded the opposite traffic lane, while he was trying the winding circuit over the hills of Treviso, where today there is the 26° edition of the race. "I stopped the car - said the policeman - contesting the invasion of lane to the pilot that I recognized and who spoke only English, a language that I don't know." A discussion, according the reports of the Tribuna di Treviso, lasted a few tens of minutes. "Nevertheless - added the policeman - we came at the head of the affair and he, quite correctly, has given his willingness to pay. Soon after I stopped for the same reason another car, nothing strange because when there is a rally, for safety reasons, I control on what pilots do to protect other road users.

Kimi Raikkonen's asphalt rally debut came to an abrupt halt after he crashed out of the Rally della Marca on SS3 in his Abarth Grande Punto S2000.

The car suffered rear suspension damage following an impact with a rock causing the right rear wheel to eventually come off and forcing Raikkonen to retire from the event.

Raikkonen was lying in 17th position (8th in S2000 category) before the crash and set 14th fastest time (7th S2000) on SS1. This was his third rally in the Tommi Makinen Racing prepared Abarth Punto Super 2000.

The rally was won by Italian Paolo Porro, in a Ford Focus RS WRC 06, who led from start to finish on the 9 stage event.