Räikkönen wants an exceptional place in 2011!

Kimi Räikkönen stated that he would return to Formula 1 in 2011 only on the condition that he has a spot on a team that allows him to fight for victory and the championship. Probably on a one-year sabbatical, Räikkönen claimed that his decision to take a year off comes from not being able to reach an agreement with McLaren. He will never return to the sport if he does not get an exceptional spot.

« I felt that McLaren could offer me the best opportunity to win races and the drivers’ championship, » the Finn said on the official Formula 1 website. « And to be honest, I would only come back in 2011 if it’s worth it. »

He added: « I don’t want races just to make an appearance. That doesn’t interest me. But there is still a lot of time until then, we’ll see what happens in the coming months. »

The manager of Räikkönen, Steve Robertson, stated on Thursday that the 2007 champion was ready to consider a place at Mercedes GP on the sole condition that the team proves its competitiveness in 2010. The Finn himself acknowledged that there has been no contact so far: « Interviews? No, I haven’t had any with Brawn. I feel like there will be two German drivers next year, now that Mercedes is involved. »

And Räikkönen reiterated that he has the desire to return to F1 and achieve more success: « I enjoyed my time in F1 and I still have ambitions. Under the right circumstances, I am very eager to come back. The door is open. Let’s wait and see what the future holds. »