Kimi Raikkonen's management is believed to be in talks with Mercedes about a race seat in 2010.
With McLaren signing Jenson Button, the Finn's manager Steve Robertson said on Wednesday that Raikkonen would take a year off and go rallying instead.
However, with Brawn/Mercedes now needing a driver to pair with Nico Rosberg, rumours quickly emerged that Raikkonen is an option.
Brazil's O Globo went as far as to report that a deal with the Brackley-based team is a certainty.
Robertson would not confirm the news but he did not rule out the possibility of a Mercedes deal, amid reports in Spain's Diario Sport that Raikkonen is in talks with Citroen about a World Rally Championship seat.
To the German news agency SID, Mercedes' Norbert Haug would not shed any light.
"We want to have the best possible line-up and there are still some very capable drivers on the market. There will of course be speculation," said the German.
Source: GMM
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