Returning Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen has begun his first test at the wheel of a Formula One car in over two years, with the Lotus team running him today and tomorrow in a two-year old Renault car at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia.
Raikkonen is conducting the test at the wheel of an R30 in order to get round F1's current testing restrictions.
He will also complete the test run using the unhelpful Pirelli 'demo' rubber, but the team has set up the test to help the Finn reacclimatise himself with F1 machinery.
With teams only allowed to run cars two years or more old outside of the 15 prescribed F1 test days, Raikkonen is being forced to build up to the start of his return in the old car.
The Finn will drive the R30 at the Valencia track throughout Monday and Tuesday this week, ahead of the start of the official 2012 pre-season tests next month.
Raikkonen left the sport at the end of the 2009 season, after losing his drive with the Ferrari team to Fernando Alonso.
He went on 'sabbatical' from the sport, racing in the World Rally Championship in 2010 and 2011.
The Finn also competed in a number of standalone NASCAR events last year, and recently tested a Peugeot sportscar.
But the 2007 champion will return to the grid this year after signing a two-year deal with the newly-renamed Lotus F1 Team.
The team will launch their new 2012 car on February 5th, with Raikkonen set to get the first taste of the new machine.
He is earmarked to drive the new car on the first two days of the first pre-season test at Jerez, with new team mate Romain Grosjean taking over for the final two days.
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