Raikkonen tests DTM Merc.

Just a couple of weeks after compatriot Mika Hakkinen joined the Three Pointed Star for a test in one of its C-Class DTM machines, Kimi Raikkonen took advantage of Mercedes' traditional 'Stars and Cars' day to do likewise...

Like Hakkinen, Raikkonen is a confessed DTM fan, but had not had the chance to sample any of the potent machinery on offer until earlier today [5 November], 24 hours before he was due to attend the 'Stars and Cars' celebration in Stuttgart, when he was installed in the cockpit of Jean Alesi's regular AMG C-Class.

Just a couple of weeks after compatriot Mika Hakkinen joined the Three Pointed Star for a test in one of its C-Class DTM machines, Kimi Raikkonen took advantage of Mercedes' traditional 'Stars and Cars' day to do likewise...

Like Hakkinen, Raikkonen is a confessed DTM fan, but had not had the chance to sample any of the potent machinery on offer until earlier today [5 November], 24 hours before he was due to attend the 'Stars and Cars' celebration in Stuttgart, when he was installed in the cockpit of Jean Alesi's regular AMG C-Class.

The test had originally been planned as a fun outing for the young Finn, who finished second in the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix for McLaren two weekends ago, but he could not resists going for a time, and end the test by coming close to the benchmarks established at the last round of the DTM campaign at Hockenheim last month.

Unlike Hakkinen, Raikkonen is not being linked to a possible ride in the DTM next season, and will team up with Juan Montoya at McLaren for his fourth season at the Woking team. Hakkinen, meanwhile, looks likely to accept an offer to join fellow F1 refugees Alesi and Heinz-Harald Frentzen in the German-based DTM series, despite continuing to be mentioned in connection to a possible F1 return with Williams.

Read More