Raikkonen hoping to race on - with the right team

It’s not often that a recent race winner and world champion ends a season without a confirmed seat for the following year, but that is just the situation that 2009 Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen is facing.

With Fernando Alonso joining the Italian team to partner Felipe Massa in 2010, Raikkonen is still to find a new cockpit in which to ply his trade. However, the Finn, who is a season shy of his 10-year anniversary in Formula One racing, doesn’t seem too anxious about his future and is instead determined to find the right drive.

And on Friday he reiterated that he is more than willing to bide his time until there’s a suitable vacancy at a team that can offer him the chance to challenge for more race victories and further titles.

“It’s hard to believe that I have been in Formula One for nine years already,” the 30 year-old said on his official website. “I am very motivated to win races and a championship again and will only remain in Formula One if I can race for a team that can give me a car to fight at the front. Let’s wait and see what happens.”

Although the 2010 driver market remains pretty open, with plenty of seats still up for grabs, Raikkonen has considered taking a sabbatical next year if he can’t find an acceptable drive. And speaking in Abu Dhabi a week ago, he made it quite clear to the media that time off remained an option.

“I can do whatever I want," he said, "but like I said before, I haven’t made my decision about what I want to do yet. Basically I have a few different options and we will see what is the best one overall and then I’ll make my decision.”

During his nine-year F1 career, which has included spells at Ferrari, McLaren and Sauber, Raikkonen has racked up one world championship, 18 wins, 16 pole positions, 35 fastest laps and 579 points.