NEWS // RAIKKONEN TO JOIN KUBICA @ RENAULT?

Autosport is reporting that Renault F1 is currently negotiating with MasterCard to be their title sponsor for the 2011 season and beyond. MasterCard last sponsored an F1 team in 1997, however their Lola failed to compete that year. If the deal were to go through, the French automaker might be able to retain the services of Robert Kubica, the Polish racing driver who joined the F1 ranks in 2006 after winning the Formula Renault 3.5 title the year before and who is currently sixth in the points this season. Additionally, if Renault were able to secure additional funding for their F1 efforts, rumor has it the French team might be looking to replace Russian Vitaly Petrov with someone a bit more experienced... like Kimi Raikkonen. Stay tuned! // [comment]