Makinen urges Raikkonen to stay in WRC

Four-time world champion Tommi Makinen has tipped his countryman Kimi Raikkonen to remain in the World Rally Championship next season.

The Red Bull-backed Citroen Junior Team driver is reckoned to be close to deciding on his future beyond the end of this season and Makinen says he shouldn’t be going anywhere other than the WRC.

Makinen said: “It would be nice to see him [stay in WRC] of course. I haven’t discussed it with him so I don’t know what he is thinking, but he seems to be happy. Kimi is the kind of guy who wants to make success and find the best performance from himself. I’m sure he is the guy who is not giving up. That’s why I’m pretty sure he won’t jump out of rally yet. I’m pretty sure he will stay next year.”

Makinen added that he had been impressed with Raikkonen’s speed on Rally Bulgaria earlier in the summer.

“He did very well in Bulgaria,” said Makinen. “And I’m sure he’s really looking forward to the [next two] Tarmac events. After every rally he is getting more and more experience working together with his co-driver. That is the biggest issue for him. It’s very difficult to understand the difference.

“If you are driving on the circuit you remember everything, you just concentrate on every corner and you know exactly where you are going. I am sure he can make very good times when he is testing. But when you go forward you need the experience. It is such a difference.”

Raikkonen has just completed his test for next week’s Rallye Deutschland, where he shared the running with Citroen Junior Team team-mate Sebastien Ogier. The Trier-based event will only be Raikkonen’s second ever asphalt WRC round in a World Rally Car.