Kimi Raikkonen will make his motorsport return later this year with a NASCAR appearance in August at the famous Watkins Glen circuit.

The 2007 world champion retired from Formula 1 at the end of last season after two decades of involvement in the sport, and many were intrigued to see what he was going to do next.

Indeed, it seemed clear that he wasn't going to launch himself into a new series fully, with him wanting to spend more time with his family, but it is clear that he still wants to drive competitively when the chance presents itself.

And, that said, his break from behind the wheel will end in August when the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Watkins Glen on August 21st, with the Flying Finn joining Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez to drive for the Trackhouse Racing team.

Raikkonen has driven a couple of times before in the States and speaking ahead of the challenge later this summer, Kimi said:

“We had more talks about it, how would it work, where the race would be, and all sorts of other things.

“There’s a lot of things involved, and it all made sense for me. It’s one race, so it made sense for all of us as a family. I always enjoyed it when I had my few races [in the United States].

“Hopefully we have a good race and good fun. Obviously it’s a new car and I’ve never been at the track. But I’m sure we can figure it out.”

Kimi Raikkonen

CHARLOTTE, NC - MAY 20: Kimi Raikkonen, driver of the #15 Perky Jerky Toyota, races Jason White, driver of the #23 GunBroker.com Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 20, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images for NASCAR)

It's an opportunity for Kimi to see just how he stacks up compared to some of the best drivers in NASCAR and his circuit knowledge should lend itself to the Watkins Glen layout, which is one of the non-oval circuits on the Cup Series calendar.

Ultimately, it's great to see Kimi getting back behind the wheel of a racing car, and we're excited to see what he can do.