Raikkonen not closing door on F1

Kimi Raikkonen’s plans for 2011 are still not secure, but the Finn appears unlikely to be returning to formula one any time soon.

The 2007 world champion looks set to either stay with Red Bull-sponsored Citroen next year or switch to another world rally championship team, despite earlier speculation suggesting he might go back to F1.

"Of course you always want to decide your next plans sooner rather than later, but sometimes it’s just not possible," Raikkonen’s manager Steve Robertson told Turun Sanomat newspaper.

"I hope we will know what direction we are going by the end of November," he added.

Robertson said the 31-year-old driver is likely to stay in rallying for now.

"We have not talked with anyone in F1," he insisted. "Kimi hasn’t closed the door on it; you never say never in case the right offer comes along."

He said Raikkonen, who cleared the way at Ferrari last year for the arrival of sponsor Santander and Fernando Alonso, would have done well this year at the wheel of the F10.

"I think he would have done pretty much the same as Fernando did," said Robertson. "Fernando drove a great season and I don’t want to take anything away from him.

"I don’t want to be misunderstood, but I think Kimi would have done a good job in that car," he insisted.