McLaren Would Love Raikkonen Back in F1

Only half of season has passed and former Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen is already missed inside the Great Circus. And it's not his last team in the series to want him back on the F1 grid (Ferrari that is), but McLaren Mercedes' with whom the Finn actually had some arguments during his stay at Woking.

However, since the team boss of McLaren has changed from Ron Dennis into Martin Whitmarsh, Raikkonen is once again looked upon as a valuable asset. Although the British team has secured its lineup for until the end of the 2012 season, Whitmarsh admitted he would love to see Raikkonen back on the grid as soon as possible.

“Formula One would be richer for having Kimi back. He is a very talented and intelligent driver, which is something that people underestimated. That's because he wasn't the most communicative of people on occasions,” the McLaren boss was quoted as saying to the Daily Star.

“Kimi is one of the most exciting drivers in the world and, frankly, he should be in Formula One. If I could wave a magic wand for an F1 grid it would certainly include Kimi. That's why last year we were talking to him,” added Whitmarsh, who has several meetings with Raikkonen and his manager in order to sort out a deal for Lewis Hamilton's new teammate (that role eventually went to reigning champion Jenson Button).

Raikkonen is currently competing in the World Rally Championship with Citroen Junior Team, and told the media several times that he will make a final decision on a potential F1 return mid-way through the ongoing campaign. The Finn has been intensively linked to a job with Renault, alongside Robert Kubica, but his manager did not confirm anything just yet.

In his last outing in the WRC, the former Ferrari-an crashed out in Day 1 of Rally Bulgaria, after which he returned to action the next day and eventually finished in 11th place.