Renault keen on signing Raikkonen

Could Raikkonen and Alonso be swapping overalls next year?

Renault have set their sights on signing Kimi Raikkonen to replace world champion Fernando Alonso in 2007.

McLaren driver Raikkonen has been widely tipped to move to Ferrari, but Renault F1 president Alain Dassas said his team were also talking to the Finn.

"It's no secret, Raikkonen is our priority for the 2007 season," Dassas told Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport.

"We are talking with Raikkonen about a contract," Dassas said, describing him as "one of the greatest drivers".

He added that Renault would be "very satisfied" if the two parties could come to a definitive agreement.

Renault are also considering test driver Heikki Kovalainen as a partner for Giancarlo Fisichella, who is staying at the team.

But Dassas said the younger Finn's lack of experience was a negative.

"To have a driver with no experience like [Kovalainen] would be risky. In F1 nowadays, you need quick, immediate results, and it could be a problem to obtain them with a debutant."