20 Aug 2013

Raikkonen won't be at Red Bull next year

12:05 pm on 20 August 2013

Kimi Raikkonen will not drive for Formula One champions Red Bull next season after talks broke down.

The Finn is out of contract at Lotus at the end of the season and was a leading contender to replace Mark Webber at Red Bull when the Australian moves over to endurance racing next year.

Fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo, from Red Bull's junior team Toro Rosso, now looks most likely to get the 2014 seat alongside world champion and current standings leader Sebastian Vettel.

Raikkonen's manager Steve Robertson says they held some talks with Red Bull, but a deal will not be happening.

A Red Bull announcement could come at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix when the season resumes after a break.

Robertson said staying at Lotus was just one possibility for 2007 world champion Raikkonen who spent two years in rallying after being forced out of Ferrari in 2009.

He has shone on his return to F1 with an unfashionable team.

Raikkonen, second in the current standings and third last year, has even been linked in the media with a return to Ferrari to replace the underperforming Felipe Massa but the Italian team have played down the speculation.

The F1 rumour mill even suggested Ferrari's number one driver Fernando Alonso could be heading to partner Vettel next season after his manager was seen entering the Red Bull motorhome at the Hungarian Grand Prix last month.