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Raikkonen Has No Interest in F1 Return

Although we're fans of the saying “never say never”, it seems that Kimi Raikkonen and Formula 1 are unlikely to become a couple (in this life, at least). As far as the Finn is concerned, it seems that there are no plans for an F1 return in the foreseeable future, as his mind is completely set on his new career in rallying.

After having spent one season in the World Rally Championship at the wheel of a Citroen C4 WRC (and enjoying Red Bull backing), Raikkonen secured a 10-event entry in the 2011 campaign also, now switching to a Citroen DS3 WRC. And his start of the season has been encouraging enough, as he scored a 9th place (points-rewarding) in Rally Sweden.

Despite his obvious focus on rallying, Raikkonen has once again been in the center of F1 reports regarding Robert Kubica's vacant seat at Renault (following his rally crash in Italy a few weekends back). And although some projected that the 31-year old would jump at the opportunity, the reality was a slight different.

I have no interest in returning to Formula One,” said the 2007 Formula 1 champion in a recent interview with the Gulf News.

I do not want to talk about Formula One,” he added. “Rallying is where I want to be. And it is good to be back for another season.”

For the time being, Raikkonen is focused on trying to better understand the behavior of his DS3 WRC, as he hasn't had too much time to drive the car prior to season start. His Ice1 entry will not be part of the upcoming WRC round in Mexico, as he will use this one-round gap in his programme to test the Citroen rally car on gravel prior to his next event, in Portugal.
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