Raikkonen signs switch to WRC with Citroën

Ex-Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen will compete for Citroen in the World Rally Championship next season, the team announced Friday. After leaving Ferrari at the end of 2009, the 2007 champion will compete in rallies for Citroen's Red Bull-backed Junior Team in 2010.

"For the moment we have a one-year contract and we will see how it goes for the future," Raikkonen said in a statement. "I am really looking forward to testing the car and taking the start of the first rally."

Raikkonen already took part in one WRC race in 2009 during a break between F1 races, and had long been an enthusiast of a sport that has a strong pedigree of Finnish champions. Next year he will be able to compete in all rallies, except for the Rally of New Zealand, one that his team is not competing in.

Raikkonen will partner French driver Sebastien Ogier in the Citroen Junior Team next year.

"I always wanted to compete in rally, especially in the World Rally Championship at some point in my career," said Raikkonen. "Thanks to Red Bull, I have the opportunity to drive the best car of the series with the Citroen C4. This is a new but very exciting challenge."

Following confirmation of his departure from Ferrari, Raikkonen and his management were involved in talks about a move back to his former team McLaren. However McLaren ultimately signed 2009 world champion Jenson Button to partner Lewis Hamilton in 2010.

Raikkonen said he was not prepared to join a weaker team, and elected to take a sabbatical from F1 in 2010, holding out the possibility of a quick return the following season.