So much for unmotivated: Kimi already focused on rally

Kimi Raikkonen already is focused on securing a drive in the 2010 World Rally Championship, his manager has told BBC Sport.

And they said he wasn’t motivated.

If Kimi does get fired up about rallying, I think that will be a big piece of evidence that an F1 team should have tried harder to hire him for 2010. [Or, keep in mind, just for Spa.]

If “lack of motivation” was a big factor keeping F1 teams from hooking up with the Finn, and he suddenly shows is — well, I do recognize we could chalk that up to his really being “over” F1 and interested in moving on to the wild world of WRC.

But it also just may show that he does have the fire. If he lost a bit of that fire when it comes to F1 after getting kicked to the curb by Ferrari, I think that’s understandable.

Here’s more from the BBC:

The 30-year-old Finn had been trying to do a deal with McLaren but they would not offer him the salary he wanted, his manager David Robertson told BBC Sport.

“They couldn’t afford him,” Robertson said. “It wasn’t in his interests to race for what they were offering so he’s going to go rallying instead.”

[snip]

Raikkonen is trying to find a drive in the world rally championship, Roberston said, although nothing had yet been sorted out.

He made his world rally debut on his home Rally Finland last August, setting competitive times before crashing out.

“He wants to be back in F1 in 2011 but with all the money he has earned he doesn’t want to go in a medium-type team for money,” Robertson added.

“The same criteria would apply as this year – he’d only go where he feels he has a chance of the world championship.”

[snip]

Asked how Raikkonen felt about the temporary end of an F1 career that started in 2001 and in which he won 18 grands prix, Robertson said: “He’s one of those guys who moves on quickly – he just said ‘now we concentrate on rallying’.”

I’m suddenly a lot more interested in WRC, and that series should promote the heck out of him — maybe he’ll even do a kooky sponsor event or two.

And I think F1 is going to lose fans when Kimi’s off the grid.