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Kimi's coming bad news for Vitaly?

LONDON, England - Russian driver Vitaly Petrov's F1 future is looking uncertain after Lotus/Renault announced that Finland's 2007 World GP champion Kimi Raikkonen would be racing for them in 2012.

Petrov has a contract with Renault (it wiill be called Lotus from next year) for 2012 but his manager Oksana Kossatchenko told Reuters  the situation was not straightforward.

'WE WANT TO KNOW THE PLAN'

"I have a meeting on November 30 morning to decide what we are doing, whether we are staying," she said. "We will have a discussion then I guess we will find a solution and then we will have a few days to sort it out... we would like to know the plan from the team before we confirm our presence in the team."

While the team said Raikkonen had signed a two-year deal to return to F1 after two years in the World Rally championship, bringing him thee was no clarity on the identity of his team mate. Frenchman Romain Grosjean, 2011 GP2 champion, had been seen as the leading contender for the seat Raikkonen has taken but could still be in the frame as No.2.

SENNA A POSSIBILITY

Brazilian Bruno Senna, who raced for the last eight races of 2011 after Germany's Nick Heidfeld was dropped, is another possibility.

Kossatchenko said the team wanted to analyse the year before a decision was made.

Petrov finished the season 10th overall on 37 points, more than half the fifth-placed team's total of 73.

Renault team principal Eric Boullier told autosport.com that all scenarios were possible and Poland's highly rated Robert Kubica, ruled out of the entire 2011 season due to injury, also remained in the frame.

"I need to sit down with Robert and his manager to understand the timescale for his return," he said. "We have confirmed Kimi and we will confirm the second seat when we are ready to confirm it."
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