Lotus sets date for Kimi Raikkonen's return to F1 machinery
Kimi Raikkonen will return to Formula 1 action in a 2010-specification Renault at Valencia on January 23-24
A Lotus team source has confirmed to AUTOSPORT that Raikkonen will have two days of running in the Renault R30 to re-acclimatise to F1 machinery after not having driven a grand prix car since the 2009 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
The team has been working on scheduling a test since he was originally signed for 2012, as reported by AUTOSPORT magazine last month.
While the two-year-old Renault cannot run on Pirelli's race rubber, it should at least give Raikkonen the chance to familiarise himself with the specification of tyre used for demo running.
Raikkonen had a seat fitting at Lotus's Enstone base last week. Speaking last month, he said that he expects to have little trouble getting back up to speed.
"I don't think I've lost any speed," he told the Lotus official website. "Getting on top of the tyres will be the hardest thing, of course, but I'm not really worried.
"We don't test the new car until February, so it's a long wait. However, I should be able to jump into a two-year-old F1 car in January.
"Learning Pirelli's tyres will be the most important job as it's a different approach from what I experienced before."
Share Or Save This Story
Did Bianchi have potential to become F1 world champion?
Autosport 75: Kubica's road to recovery and beyond
Autosport 75: When Red Bull had its own intra-team fight like Norris vs Piastri
What F1 history tells us about three-way title deciders
On this day: Raikkonen’s Suzuka masterclass
The contrasting fortunes of F1's big-name moves to Ferrari
The key moments in Renault's F1 history as it bids farewell
Was short-lived Lotus 76 simply a lame duck or never given a fair crack of the whip?
The man who shaped the Formula 1 car
Why Nurburgring 24 Hours agony may motivate Verstappen to return
Final Catalan GP results as five riders penalised and Mir loses MotoGP podium
Acosta slams Catalan GP calls: “It’s awful we acted as if nothing happened”
DS Penske solid despite frustrating finish in Monaco E-Prix
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments