Sometimes it’s rough. You try and try but nothing seems to go your way. I haven’t been winning for ages and I haven’t got many points either. In Monza, we finished the race but it didn’t feel any better compared to the two previous ones with DNFs. We now have had five races without points. Obviously, you don’t have to be Einstein to realise that this is not the way to fight for the championship. It’s not over, I’ll never give up.
We have had the same problem too many times. With this car in certain circumstances it’s too difficult to get the right temperature to the tyres – especially if it rains. And it seems to rain in almost every race nowadays.
It rained a lot in Monza. Unfortunately for me, there is no reason to talk about anything else apart from the last laps of the race. The car was really good on Friday in the dry. But in the wet on Saturday I simply could not get the tyres up to temperature. This is something we need to understand, because the car is very good when it has the right temperatures in the tyres. But the race is all over by then.
Obviously at the moment things simply are not going my way. Sometimes things happen like that. But I will keep pushing and hopefully my luck will change. I would like to win a couple of more races by the end of this season.
I have not lost my skills for driving in the wet. But you have to get the car right to be able to fight in the rainy races, too. If there is no grip, you cannot fight. You just drive and drive and hope that everything gets sorted out.
While it started to dry up in Monza, it was like switching on the lights. Everything felt well and I was able to attack the corners but it was much, much too late by then.
Now we go to Mugello to test. We do our very best to solve the problem. We wouldn’t mind if it would rain all week.
We are heading for the new challenges. It’s good for F1 and the drivers to race in a new city like Singapore. It will also be the first ever night race in F1 so it’s a completely new experience for everybody. The atmosphere will be great. Hot and humid seems to be more favourable for Ferrari.
You never know what happens in the race. There is no reason to make any plans. We just concentrate on doing our very best. Whoever has the most points after the last race of the season will be champion.
I’m really happy to extend my agreement with Ferrari. They are the best team in F1. My memories of last season will never be forgotten and I would like to repeat that feat again.
Well there you go, the man hasn’t lost his skills in the wet incase if that was what you clueless critics were thinking! I’m really sorry to read Kimi’s problem with the tyres, it’s been the case all season and it seems to have gotten worse in the wet conditions instead of improving. But he never criticises the team for it, these things happen and you have to try your best together as a team to fix them. Kimi says he’s more than happy to have extended his contract with Ferrari and it’s sweet. He can never forget last year, we can’t. He may have won in the end by a single point, perhaps by getting lucky in China, but he was always there to attack. He never gave up. So why should he this time. Keep Flying Kimi. If anyone can pull it off it’s Kimi Raikkonen ~
P.S – You can read the Finnish translation of Kimi’s column in the comments below. You’ll see the ice-hockey reference again so it’s definately Kimi writing those columns!
FUCK ISRAEL 
I still can’t believe ferrari haven’t solved this tyre issue, Just look at the difference Kimi had from the wet conditions to the time the track was drying up. He was faster by 2 sec on every other driver on the track. If Kimi loses this year’s championship its due to the god damn tyres,weather and Ferrari’s reliability, none of which Kimi or anyone could change.
More than anything, hearing this is painful,
"Hamilton denies the title is now his to lose."When you’re in the lead, perhaps (it is). But I’m not looking at it that way," he said. "Kimi is world champion so it’s his championship to lose."
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Hope Kimi will get a good experience and result in SG night race. 🙂
Good Luck~
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God… Now I wish both Massa,Lewis and their egos take them out of the coming 4 races… Im really praying they dont finish the next races…. I ain’t happy at all. 😦
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Here is the Finnish translation of the column (thanks to Nicole)
NO TRACTION
I have to say that this is sometimes really difficult when nothing goes
right. I haven’t won in ages and I haven’t scored many points. In Monza
I could at least cross the finish line when in the last two races I had
to leave by foot.
So now I have in this serie 5 races with no points. You don’t have
to be an Einstein to figure out that you can’t fight for the WDC like
this. It isn’t over and we aren’t giving up but then it would have to
be a miracle like you would in Ice Hockey score from your own end of
the cage for example.
Our car just doesn’t work when it’s raining and it seems like water is pouring in every race.
That’s why it’s unneccessary to talk about anything else than about
the end of the race in Monza. When I can’t get the tyres in the right
temperature you can’t do anything else other than drive and drive so
that they would warm up. When the track was dry it was like I would
have switched the lights on from the switch and after that we went
again. It was just too late to do anything more. You couldn’t even try
and get one single point home when you were so far away.
The skills I have in driving in rain have not disappeared anywhere.
We just have to get the car so that it would have traction in every
condition. You can’t do anything if you haven’t got the traction.
If we would know what would help we would have done it ages ago.
Now all we can do is try and improve the situation during the next
test. We will drive in Mugello and it wouldn’t hurt if it would rain
all the time. We haven’t had troubles on dry tracks.
What is great in racing is when you never know what is going to
happen next. It was really nice when Seb won in Monza. He has a good
car for raining conditions and a Ferrari engine. When we couldn’t win
it was good that Toro Rosso could party.
I will do my best right until the end. That’s sure. More than
anything I want to start winning again. It’s such a long time since
Barcelona that I don’t even remember how sweet the victory felt.
Singapore is a different challenge when we drive at night and the
weather can be anything possible. A new place is always a great
experience and it’s great to go there. I heard it always rains in the
evening but you see when you are there what it’s like. The lights are
probably so bright that it will be like driving in daylight.
I still have the theoretical chances for the WDC but the most
important thing is to get the car working. We don’t think about
anything else. We take the race so that we go forward situation by
situation, whatever we face. The one who at the end of the season has
most points wins the WDC.
Life will not end here. We made a new deal with Ferrari and I will
drive at least for the two next seasons in the best team in the world.
All we need right now is proper results in the end and a better feeling
than the last races have given.
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Hi Saima,i’m Alessadro from Rome…I wanted to ask a question about Singapore Street Circuit(the race some night)… For you it will be one flop as Valencia Street Circuit that is null overtakes,noy much show,very much boredorm..???…bye-bye Saima!…answer soon!..;).. remember GO I.C.E.M.A.N….gooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!……
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Hi there guys. Sorry I was gone for a while but I was always there on the forum and chat. I wanted to get into the topic of MS/Massa/Kimi but then again, i was exploring the forum and stuff like that. Now coming to the topic, this was a very emotional column. I’m a lad, and I don’t cry but I got really emotional. It was as if i was talking to him while reading the column.
Regarding the heating issue, it is mostly related to understeer characteristic of F2008. The reason why Ferrari have put that charasteristic in the car is because they knew back in January that they’ll hv these tyre issue. Had they come up with a more oversteering car, it would hv been slower as u can all see in F1 games, slight understeer increases speed and lap times. So same applies here. I’m no F1 engineer, just tried to think over it for many days now. I think Ferrari are more than capable of solving these issues but they’re trapped in a predicament that can only be solved if everything was overhauled, not through evolution, thru revolution…
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obviously things have gotten better for Kimi in the dry conditions.. its a new track @ Singapore… Kimi gets on top of new tracks in no time… i hoping a pole from Kimi.. if it doesnt rain… :).. and who cares if there is any over taking or not.. if Kimi starts from pole and WINS!! the race couldnt be better!!
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I had the same feeling, it feel so real and beautiful….as if Kimi was sitting there calmly talking to me…. and tears wells up in my eyes….
REVOLUTION??….. Woh….I hope Ferrari don’t really need to go down that road… fingers cross XX
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i was just waiting for those words, sure it’s from our man!
can’t stop to be annoying by his tyres issues, but like he said, he can just try an try, he seems to have no idea how to solve those problem, but he’s still the same, he never gives up! That’s really nice to read! and despite i keep hope for his tittle, if it’s not this year, just hope he can have fun and solve those problems for next year!
that was just exactly what i was saying myself thinking about him! top cool! he want to go and win, he’s a fighter!
Keep flying Kimi!
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Five races without a point??? I seem to remember three races back at Hungary, Kimi scored a podium. I think he’s got stats all wrong.. I’m really sad to see such a marvel and a jewel of a driver struggle although he’s at the top of his game only because of that flawed piece of machinery. It’s really surprising that the legendary Ferrari team has no clues about tyre issues, it’s more alarming since they can use Michael to do a test and maybe his advisory role should be utilized more vehemently.
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That’s a good point Hasan, but I guess that’s where the ‘Kimi’s downfall is because he doesn’t take Schumi’s advice’ excuse comes in. Then again, I seriously doubt that has anything to do with Kimi’s understanding of the tyre issue, it’s a car issue afterall and only valid reason Massa has the upperhand in it is because he is more aggressive in his nature and that helps warm the tyres for performance. If Schumi really could ‘assist’ Kimi in his problem then I’m sure we wouldn’t be having this discussion. So please…no more Schumi talk please. He’s just a shadow as far as I’m concerned and I’m quite sure Kimi feels the same otherwise he’d be lying when he said "I’m the one driving the car" a few months ago.And Kimi knows his stats! He hasn’t scored points in 5 races this season. Monaco he came 9th, Canada DNF, Europe and Belgium DNFs and now Italy.
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Oh sorry! I thought he said he hasn’t scored a point ‘SINCE’ 5 races.. Excuse me for that folks… Let’s hope Singapore brings some luck. Unfortunately only retirement for his rivals is the only hope and I must admit, i hate to manipute disaster for others, i only hope Kimi to do his best and win races, I have no clue how Kimi could win the WDC without his rivals bumping into each other….
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I always enjoy reading Kimi’s column and good to know he does write his own reviews.
What astounds me now is all the paddock talk, commentators, journalists, broadcasters, etc saying Kimi has to support Massa in his WDC campaign, and that Ferrari must now nominate and put all their efforts in Massa. I feel this is still premature and isn’t this a contradiction of the sporting regulations that teams orders are not allowed ? I am baffled by such blatant disregard because mathematically, there are still 4, possibly 5 drivers still in contention. Of course, I understand the nature and odds of the game, but what about the fans and supporters out there who want to see the best car/driver of the day win the race ? Vettel’s victory is a prime example of this.
Besides, Massa already has his "big brother" helping him because he’s a Mini-Michael Wannabe !
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Kimi’s comments are a tribute to himself, as a man and as a sportsman.
Honest, considered and the blame, between the lines, is two thirds car, one part driver. It’s not possible to change your driving style to any great degree. The best modern drivers can’t do it, they can only slow down. Lewis with his tyre shoulder wear issues – only he wears the tyres in that way, his only choice is to not drive so hard. And Lewis couldn’t get the wets up to temperature either, it’s not just Kimi. alonso at the back of the field. One of the older masters, Barrichello, a below average performance because of tyre temperatures. In the dry the car must be kind to the tyres, and most races are dry.
The best recent driver, gentleman Damon Hill, was unable to drive for the whole of his last season. The rules changed which changed the car which made him in that car a mediocre performer. Double world champions can’t perform in the wrong car.
How I would love to see Kimi back home with the McLaren. Lewis and Kimi v the rest of the world. Maybe Vettel would get a look in, can’t think of any others in that class. Massa only suits dry, look at his Silverstone performance! 5 spins, a new F1 record, almost. Kimi and Lewis were both at the edge in Quali, amazing car control and reactions from each of them.
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Hi guys, read this post from ITV’s Mark Hughes, he’s talking about Kimi’s contract extension :
The timing was peculiar, coming on the back of several recent below-par performances from the world champion and fevered speculation that his place would be taken by either Fernando Alonso or Robert Kubica in 2010.
There were several takes within the paddock on the logic of the announcement.
Take one: the face value take. Ferrari understand that Raikkonen’s recent difficulties are purely to do with adapting his driving style to a car reluctant to heat up its front tyres; and that next year, on slicks and with a completely new set of aero regulations, those characteristics will not apply.
Then we will see the essence of Kimi Raikkonen: a devastatingly fast, uncomplicated driver who is a perfect fit for Ferrari’s requirements.
Great analysis by Mark… This is the testimony in front of you… Clueless critics… go ahead and read the stuff. If u don’t believe me, go to http://www.itv-f1.com
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