Raikkonen to make Citroen bow on Arctic Rally

Kimi Raikkonen is to make his competitive debut at the wheel of a Citroen C4 WRC on the Arctic Lapland Rally in January.

The former F1 title winner will use the event as a warm-up for his WRC debut with the Citroen Junior Team in Sweden - which will be the first of twelve events he will contest next year.

As well as providing vital experience ahead of his WRC campaign, the outing will also give Raikkonen the opportunity to sample the C4 WRC in competition for the first time. Indeed, the Arctic Rally could be the Finn's first chance to drive the car unless a test can be held prior to the event.

"The ideal thing would be to return to the test roads we used before the Arctic and Rally Finland this year," Raikkonen's co-driver Kaj Lindstrom told the official WRC wesbite. "Kimi knows those stages well now, so that would be the ideal place to get to grips with the new car. That's what we'd like, but at this stage we haven't agreed a plan with Citroen. We'll find out more in the New Year.

"Getting the Arctic Rally in our programme was a key factor - we really wanted to include it as a pre-season test. It's a rally that Kimi and I have already done together in the Fiat, so he knows the stages - more or less - and it will be a good opportunity for him to build confidence in his driving and the pace notes."

Raikkonen finished 13th in the event earlier this year at the wheel of the same Abarth Grande Punto S2000 he would use later in the season on Rally Finland.