F1's Kimi Raikkonen to make WRC debut in Rally Finland at end of July

The 2007 Formula One world champion, who has already competed in three non-championship rallies this year, will enter Rally Finland in a Fiat Abarth Grande Punto with compatriot Kaj Lindstrom as co-driver.

Lindstrom was formerly co-driver to four-times world champion Tommi Makinen.

“Rally Finland is not going to be easy for sure,” Lindstrom told the autosport.com website. “The rallies we have done so far have been smaller events, a three-day WRC round is much longer and more intense than those national events.

“We have two days to go through the recce (reconnaissance) and make the notes. Kimi makes very good pace notes but there will be pressure on for the recce.

“One of the hardest things for Kimi will be the speed of this event. Rally Finland and the roads used are so fast, like nothing we have done before.

“But, let's not forget, this guy is a pretty good driver. He's very talented and I'm sure he will cope fine.”

Rally Finland starts the Friday after the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix in Budapest on July 26.

Ford's Hirvonen leads Citroen's five-times world champion Loeb by a point going in to the ninth of the season's 12 rallies.

Raikkonen, 29, has competed in two rallies in Finland and one in Italy since the start of the year. He has scored just 10 points from eight grands prix this year in Formula One.

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