Raikkonen to quit F1 for rallying

Kimi Raikkonen will focus on rallying next year after failing to reach a deal with McLaren, the 2007 Formula One world champion's manager said yesterday.

"They couldn't afford him," David Robertson, who manages the Finn with his son Steve, told the BBC. "It wasn't in his interests to race for what they were offering so he's going to go rallying instead.

"He wants to be back in F1 in 2011 but with all the money he has earned, he doesn't want to go in a medium-type team for money," he added.

"The same criteria would apply as this year. He'd only go where he feels he has the chance of the world championship."

Raikkonen spent five years at McLaren before joining Ferrari at the end of 2006 and winning the title in his first season there. He has now been ousted at the Italian team by Fernando Alonso, despite having a year to run on his contract.

With a payoff in his pocket, he had already cast doubt on his Formula One future and said last month that any contract he signed would have to allow him to continue his rallying activities.

The 30-year-old, whose motivation has been repeatedly questioned, competed in this year's Finnish round of the rally championship in a Fiat after also entering three non-championship events.

In his nine seasons in Formula One, he won 18 races but finished only sixth overall this year with one victory in Belgium.