Crash ends Raikkonen's WRC debut

Kimi Raikkonen has competed in three non-championship rallies this year

Kimi Raikkonen's debut in the World Rally Championship came to an end after the former Formula 1 champion crashed out of stage 19 of the Rally Finland.

The Finn was 15th overall when he rolled his Abarth Grande Punto off the road on Saturday's final stage.

He and co-driver Kaj Lindstrom were unhurt, although they narrowly missed the car of Mads Ostberg who had gone off at the same point moments earlier.

The damage to Raikkonen's car prevented the Ferrari driver returning on Sunday.

Raikkonen has appeared in three non-championship rallies this season, and a four-week break between the Hungarian Grand Prix and the European Grand Prix in Valencia on 21 August has allowed him to step up his involvement.

In a disappointing F1 season, Raikkonen has won just 10 points in the drivers' championship and 54 behind leader Jenson Button.

But his speed in the second-tier Super 2000 machine impressed as he climbed up to third in the category before his error ended his race.

Raikkonen's compatriot Mikko Hirvonen secured a victory for the home fans coming home 25 seconds ahead of title rival Sebastian Loeb.

World champion Loeb, who lost more than 10 seconds after damaging his rear tyre in a pothole on a hairpin on stage 15, now trails Hirvonen by three points in the overall standings.

Raikkonen was not the only F1 driver at the Finland Rally with Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel watching from the sidelines.

"I've plenty to do in F1, but who know maybe one day I will compete in the WRC - I wouldn't mind doing some drives in the future," Vettel told the World Rally Championship website.

Win Mikko Hirvonen's driving gloves!

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team leader Mikko Hirvonen has generously donated his driving gloves from Rally Poland for us to give away on wrc.com.

These are the actual Sparco gloves worn by Mikko to win Rally Poland and the ones which steered him into the lead of the 2009 drivers' championship.

The leather-palmed gloves are in the authentic post-rally state and were fished from Mikko's car after the podium celebrations. Complete with a spattering of genuine Rally Poland mud these are the real deal. And to prove it Mikko has signed them both.

Clearly not a superstitious man, Mikko was happy to offer them as a competition prize. "These are the actual ones that did the winning; they know how to go fast," he said.

To be in with a chance of winning them all you have to do is answer one simple question. To find out what it is, and how to enter, visit the WRC Extra section now.

Raikkonen to race in world rally

Former Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen is to compete in the World Rally Championship in his native Finland at the end of the July.

Ferrari's Raikkonen has appeared in three non-championship rallies this season and will be behind the wheel of a Fiat Abarth Grande Punto.

His co-driver, Kaj Lindstrom, said: "The roads used for this rally are so fast but he's very talented."

The rally is staged three weeks before the European Grand Prix in Valencia.

Raikkonen, who won the F1 title in 2007, will be competing against the likes of championship favourites Sebastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen.

Event spokesman Simon Long said: "It's superb news for the championship and hugely exciting that he'll be competing at Rally Finland."

In a disappointing season for Ferrari, Raikkonen has won just 10 points in the drivers' world championship, 54 behind leader Jenson Button.