Raikkonen to drive 2010 Renault in two weeks

Kimi Raikkonen

Lotus Renault GP has confirmed to GPUpdate.net that Kimi Raikkonen will make his Formula 1 driving return in Valencia later this month. The Finn, who has been out of the sport since the end of 2009, will run in the team’s 2010 car on 23-24 January.

Although testing is strictly forbidden for the teams’ 2012 race cars, the Lotus run for the returning 2007 World Champion will be possible as the chassis in question is the R30 which was raced by Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov in a luminous yellow livery two years ago.

The outing will be at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo track, which this year is not hosting any official pre-season testing; instead, the action begins in Jerez on Tuesday 7 February before Barcelona plays host to two more four-day meetings at the beginning of March.