After successfully trekking through a very tricky stage in the early season, Kimi faced another mountain to climb due to poor reliability and bad luck. Yet again, Kimi didn’t give up and rose to the top.
Europe GP: DNF
The Iceman – "I am very disappointed. I missed the pit lane because it was so slippery in the first part. But later on, I was in a good position…the car was very quick and I was convinced I could win. But gradually, the hydraulic system began to malfunction, I began to lose time and then I was forced to stop. This knock back does not mean I feel like giving up the fight, even if there is now one less race in which to compete. We have a very competitive car but clearly we have to improve on the reliability front."
The Ice Burns, Kimi – "I was very happy to take my second pole position of the season…From time to time it’s really difficult to understand how hard motor sports can be… It was a real pity that I had to retire for the second time this year… I don’t know why, but it seems that the two German race tracks don’t like me."
Jean Todt (Ferrari team principle) – "We are very disappointed for Kimi, stopped on lap thirty five by a problem with the hydraulic system. We have to find out the cause but once again it shows that you do not go far without reliability."
The Snowflakes, Kimi – "There are still seven races to go and the car is very competitive. We are no further away from the championship leader (as Hamilton failed to finish in the points) and we will fight every inch of the way. I don’t want to talk about it anymore: What is for sure is that I will not come to Hungary as someone defeated. Not at all!"
Hungary GP: 2nd
The Iceman – "My main aim today was to make up points on my three closest rivals for the title. I didn’t manage it and so I cannot be completely happy…When you find yourself very close to a car with similar speed, unless it makes a mistake, it is very difficult to overtake, especially on a track like this one. I fought to the very end to try and win but I never had a real chance to pass Hamilton. Clearly, on some tracks, we suffer a lot in qualifying and we have to understand why. I think that in the coming races the situation should definitely be better, starting in Istanbul."
The Ice Burns, Kimi – "It was a kind of boring race, just driving behind and waiting for something to happen. Nothing really happened so we finished where we started."
Mike Hakkinen – "I wish Kimi all the best. McLaren is a strong team while with Ferrari I have doubts If they can keep this performance."
The Snowflakes, Jean Todt – "At the moment, there’s one point difference between the two drivers and I’m just happy that both are competitive, both are fitting very well in the team and there is no way we will make any kind of strategy with them at the moment."
Turkey GP: 2nd
The Iceman – "Of course I would like to have won but probably the race was decided in yesterday afternoon’s qualifying session. I got a good start in the race then I had a bit of understeer which went away after a few laps. The second set of tyres did not work as well as the first. In Monza I will have to try and do a good qualifying to be in the best possible situation for the race."
The Ice Burns, Kimi – "The quick lap at the end (of the race)? I was a bit bored with spending the whole race behind another car and so I tried to see how quick I could have been."
"After every race I get asked how the championships will proceed and my answer is always the same: we have to wait until the last race in Brazil to be able to say for sure, because anything can happen."
The Snowflakes, Kimi – "The important thing is to have put two Ferraris in front of everyone else and, in any case, we have made up ground on the championship leader."
Jean Todt – "Favouring a driver now will be inappropriate with drivers like Felipe and Kimi, doing such a good job, after 12 Grands Prix with just one point difference. Most of them had problems because of some mistakes that we did. They made some mistakes, but that is normal. We are human beings, and at the moment there is not any plan to make any kind of strategy between one or the other one."
Matt Bishop (F1Racing magazine editor) – "Lets just think for a second, he’s cornering at 180 MPH, he’s on the straight at 200 MPH, it’s incredible hot, he’s been doing it for 100 minutes, he’s absolutely flat out, pouring with sweat …and he does sweat a lot, he takes his helmet off and he looks hot and bothered and red faced, but in there he’s extraordinary bored, apparently very very bored and what did he do, and was very very clear as you said very clear; he couldn’t overtake so what did he do… he backed off to get himself some clear air and then that lap that fastest lap, the penultimate lap of the race… absolutely extraordinary just sticking in the 27s there. I mean I always say about Kimi Raikkonen; If I ever forget the reasons why I fell in love with this sport when I was ten years old I only have to go and stand track side and watch Kimi on the limit and I’m reminded all over again it’s absolutely marvelous."
Italy GP: 3rd
The Iceman – "This was definitely a tough race for me because of the pain I felt in my neck after yesterday’s accident, which was bad enough to make it hard for me to hold my head steady under braking. The car was not bad in the first stint but then we were not strong enough. In the final stages I slowed to save the car for the next race. We were keen to win in front of our fans but we did not manage it. At least I got onto the podium. Now we tackle another fascinating circuit at Spa-Francorchamps where I think that we and our closest rivals will be more evenly matched."
The Ice Burns, Kimi – "My neck was stiff, probably the most stiff it’s ever been. I was not at my best. After the race I had to take some painkillers."
Luca Baldisserri – "We tried to change things around by putting Kimi on a different strategy, but in general we were not quick enough."
The Snowflakes, Kimi – "It’s good that there is enough time to rest for a couple of days. I will be 100% fit while we go to Belgium. That is my favourite circuit."
Belgium GP: 1st
The Iceman – "A great day! I had some doubts about the car’s handling after yesterday’s qualifying, but everything went well. The car worked very well for the whole race: I was quick enough in the first part to control the race after that. It is nice to win here on my favourite track for the third time in a row. Now we must continue to push. We are still a long way off in the championship but we are not giving up and we will keep going right to the very end of the championship."
The Ice Burns, Press Conference – Q. (Dan Knutson) Kimi, we saw you do a bit of a donut spin there coming back into the pits. What happened?
Kimi – "I lost it. (laughter). No, I have always wanted to do one and here it is much easier so… And it was the second race engine, so it doesn’t really matter if you make life harder for it."
"At the start of the race, the silver cars pushed each other. Must be a very "warm" atmosphere in the neighbour."
The Snowflakes, Ferrari – "Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro has won the 2007 Formula One Constructors’ World Championship…Ferrari will now invest all its efforts over the final three races of this championship in trying to also win the Drivers’ world title."
KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN SPACE 