Lotus say no to Raikkonen's rally hopes

Monaco: Lotus have ruled out Kimi Raikkonen mixing Formula One and rallying after speculation that he could enter Rally Finland later this year.

The former Renault team lost Polish driver Robert Kubica to life-threatening injuries last year and principal Eric Boullier made clear at the Monaco Grand Prix on Thursday that Raikkonen could not be put at risk.

"Contractually he cannot do it. End of story," he said.

Raikkonen returned to F1 this year with Lotus after two years spent competing in the world rally.

"Obviously there is a trauma here after 2011. But we can't allow any contract with the drivers...it's supposed to have a clause where they cannot take any risk because they are so valuable for the team.

"Rally, skiing, jumping is not allowed."

Kubica, a race winner and rising star in Formula One who was Renault's number one driver, suffered severe leg and hand injuries when he crashed in a minor rally in Italy in February 2011.

The Pole had multiple operations, has not raced since, is now out of contract and has largely disappeared from the public gaze.

Former Ferrari driver Raikkonen returned to Formula One this year with Lotus after two years spent competing in the world rally championship with Citroen.

The autosport.com website reported this week that he would be interested in competing in Finland in August, when Formula One has a summer break.

"I'd like to do Rally Finland this season as it fits with the calendar but you'll have to ask the team if it fits in my contract," he was quoted as saying.

The Finn crashed and hurt his wrist while competing in a snowmobile race in Austria last December but Boullier said Lotus could not have prevented that.

"He started to race for us in 2012, not 2011, so he was under contract with another brand."

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