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Motivation no issue for Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen insists that he would not return to Formula One if he wasn't motivated to succeed, and says he isn't bothered what other people say about his comeback.

Raikkonen has signed a two-year deal with Lotus Renault to drive for the team from the 2012 season onwards, having previously been linked with a drive at Williams. After admitting that his decision was a straight one between the two teams, Raikkonen said that he had always missed the on-track action and would not be returning to the sport if he wasn't sure he would enjoy it.

"I wouldn't come back if I wouldn't be motivated," Raikkonen said. "There's always a lot of talk about the motivation but nobody really knows what I do or what I think apart from myself, so I don't really care what people say. I enjoy [being able] to come back, I wouldn't put my name in a contract if I wouldn't think that I would really enjoy it. So it will be interesting and it will be exciting to get back.

"Coming back to Formula One I think the main reason was I never really lost the passion in racing in Formula One, but maybe all the other things around it. But when I did some NASCAR races this year in the States I was starting to miss more and more the racing side, to race against each other because in the rally you race against the clock really. So that's what I was missing, and then I got the call from certain people in Formula One and all sorts of things happened, and then we managed to have a nice conversation with Lotus Renault and then ended up making a deal with them, so I'm very happy with that."

When asked what the biggest difference would be between next Formula One today and when he last raced in 2009, Raikkonen said the Pirelli tyres would need mastering.

"I think the tyres. For comparing 2009 and now, coming to next year, the biggest difference will be with the tyres probably. The cars, I don't think are an awful lot different. DRS, it's a new thing but it's basically a similar one-button thing like it was with the front wing before and that has disappeared so now it's the rear wing. So really the main difference is the tyres I would guess."

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