HELSINKI -- Former Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen will make a surprise NASCAR debut this year while also competing in rallies, Finland’s Turun Sanomat newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The Finn, who took the F1 title with Ferrari in 2007, has been driving a Citroen in the world rally championship since he left Formula One at the end 2009.

The paper said the 31-year-old now plans to enter some NASCAR races with the ICE1 team when his world rally championship commitments permit.

“I am excited about getting to know NASCAR world. I have been following it for a long time,” the paper quoted him as saying.

“I am 100 percent sure it will be fun and challenging,” he added. The paper said Raikkonen will drive his first race in the truck series, before then moving up to other NASCAR series, before the summer and talks with a manufacturer were being finalised.