As 2007 Formula One world
champion Kimi Raikkonen prepares to make his WRC debut for the Citroen
Junior Team, we stop him in the Service Park for a quick chat.
What are your expectations for the Rally Sweden and the WRC
season as a whole?
KR: "For Sweden my aim is to get to the end
of the rally and to
learn the car more. What I need is just more time in the car. For the
rest of
the season I want to make progress and fight with the others but I have
no
special target in mind; we will see how it goes."
With limited time to recce and make pace notes, how helpful
is it having the experience of Kaj Lindstrom and the Citroen team behind
you?
KR: "For sure it’s helpful to have other peoples’
experience.
But in the end while they can help you with certain things they cannot
tell you
how to drive the car; this is something that you have to learn
yourself."
Have you spoken to Rami and other rally drivers about your
move and what’s been the best piece of advice you’ve had?
KR: "It’s
a little bit the same story. Of course I talk with my
brother and my friends about motorsport but in the end this is just
talk;
driving the car is something you have to do yourself."
You are the Ice Man, but have you found a rallying surface
you prefer?
"Not yet, as I haven’t tried everything yet.
Maybe asphalt
could be more familiar for me but we will see when we get there."
How does the atmosphere in the Service Park compare with the
atmosphere in the F1 Paddock? (Is it more informal, less glamorous, is
the food
better?)
KR: "It’s very different to F1, that’s for certain.
From what I
have seen so far I like the rally atmosphere. But it’s only my first
rally; I
need time to get to know the whole scene better."
What did we learn in Sweden?
Source: WRC.com
Raikkonen has
passed his first WRC driving lesson
"Before any WRC season there’s always a lot of hype about what’s going
to happen, and who’s going to do what. This year was no different,
except that we had another factor to consider: just how was former F1
world champion Kimi Raikkonen going to get on? Pushed out of his Ferrari
F1 drive, Raikkonen decided the challenge of rallying was just what he
wanted and I for one am delighted he’s come to the WRC.
"Even after his Arctic rally warm-up, however, Sweden was always going
to be a tough start for him, and anybody who thought he was going to set
the world alight straight away obviously didn’t understand the sport.
"Probably the best thing that happened to Kimi was getting stuck behind
Khalid Al Qassimi on the first proper stage. This immediately took away a
lot of the pressure to succeed. Over the three days Kimi got very well
acquainted the snow shovel carried in his Citroen but remained in good
humour as he learned. The experience gained in Sweden will be invaluable
for future events. Well done Kimi. Welcome to the WRC and thank you,
Ferrari."
Kimi could not test for Rally Mexico due to back pain
Source: wrc-is-free.fr | Babelfish translation
The Citroen Junior TEAM carried out a meeting of tests on the ground
yesterday. These tests were begin with one day with Raikkonen then to
finish by one day with Ogier. Finnish being wounded with the back, only
Ogier could roll Saturday. Thus Kimi will not have been able to roll on
the ground, after its gallop of tests in Satory which was finalemen finished in rolling on snow,
Finnish could not go on this meeting.
This meeting was intended for the
preparation of the rally of Mexico, but the conditions was very wet.
Mud had invaded the base after good downpours. The morning, the team has
to change basic because of this ground. The wind and the sun present
made it possible to reconsider the base envisaged at the origin after
midday. The runs were connected with short pauses. The team worked
mainly on adjustments of suspensions and differentials. The passages in
end according to midday became spectacular with a standard bump
“Finland” making leap C4 on tens of meters.
The car used were that of
Raikonnen in Sweden. It failed well to finish in a bad condition, the
turns being connected, confidence increasing, the passages are
increasingly fast, Seb takes a little too much cord and here is C4 on 2
wheels, it falls down on the 4 and not on the roof! An occasion to
congratulate Ogier on sound beautiful rally of Sweden and to have
levelled to us at the time of these passages. A rally which has to him
seems it well rained contrary to a RAC or of a rally of Ireland which it
is glad not to re-examine in 2011. Two rallys with too many traps
according to the pilot of the TEAM junior.
FUCK ISRAEL 
What about "Finnish being wounded with the back,…" ?
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I think the article was talking about Kimi’s back being sore during the Sweden rally, his personal trainer Mark Arnall did say it was hurting him as he isn’t used to driving this car for 3 days in a row. It must still be hurting him I guess :(The article is roughly translated by an online translator by the way, so some of the sentences will sound strange, hehe.
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This article was in french and it said that Kimi did’not test the C4 because he has a back injury. So he will go in Mexico without testing this car on gravel.Only Ogier tested itCheers !!
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Cecile, thanks for clearing that up!
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Poor Kimi, I just realised, he’s got quite a back pain just after one rally 😦 How will he cope for another 11 rallies… and ones especially on gravel… God, hope he gets better soon. Take it easy Kimi!
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This is so cool…….Kimi Enjoy the rallies but we r still waitinghttp://www.planetf1.com/story/0,18954,3213_5970277,00.html
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kimi should’nt go back to F1, he should stay in the WRC, its by far better and more enjoyable
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F1 gets better by Kimi Raikkonen 🙂
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The only reason why i want to see kimi back is because i feel he deserve two more WDC……I cant just listen to people saying Kimi was not motivated and now he’s gone……I want him to come back and shut the traps of all those doubter idiots….I dont know….. the thirst of seeing Kimi spraying the champagne just doesn’t end 🙂
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Wow, looks like the F1 media really miss Kimi! We’ll just have to wait and see, what Kimi decides for good. He said he will decide later this year.If he really wants to be WRC champion, then he should go for it. He has to stay in WRC for good.It’d be nice if he came back to F1, but only because I think he had so much more to achieve there too. But I’m afraid his F1 story is one of "what should have been" unfortunately.
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Kimi staying in WRC to become a dual World champion would be so awesome…..but what will seriously hurt is that we’ll have to be patient…….. F1’s got srsly dull….. I Just Miss Him Alot……Wish i could see WRC in India
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I miss him a lot too 😦 It just ain’t the same anymore lol… sigh…But it’s better that Kimi does what he wants, and he seems happier than before. Although I think this is due to the much needed break from F1 and their suffocating scrutiny, it’s kinda like a nice long holiday for him. He’s got a bad back pain though, which he shouldn’t be having on a holiday! lolNah, Kimi is very focused and determined to be successful in WRC. No joking around. So these F1-comeback rumours might as well piss off!
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in f1 he wouldn’t nearly crash into a moosehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xTkN2F9wtI
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Lol very true Mike, I saw that earlier today. You only really get birds in F1, and those funny beaver type creatures in Montreal. However, I have seen some deer run around in Austria 2003…I think. Here is a rough translation of what Kimi and Kaj were saying about the moose lol (thanks to leijona!)——————-What I could understand from that videoKimi: Oh fu*k!Kaj: Just let it go.. [meaning "just continue"]Kimi: Fu*k it comes on to us!Kaj: yeah *laughs* [and continues with the notes]Kimi: I didn’t know where it was going…Kaj: yeah [continues with notes] ——————-
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in the australian rally a couple of years ago solberg hit a kangaroo at full belt! very nasty lol
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OMG! Nasty indeed!
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Just a little update about Kimi’s preparations for Mexico, thanks to Claudie for the link:http://rallye.automoto365.com/news/?lang=fr&month=2&season_year=2010&mode=NewsDetails&id=1711—————————-Raikkonen to Mexico, via ParisAccording to sources AutoMoto365. com, Kimi Räikkönen has just left Paris after spending several days with studious engineers Racing Citroen. The objective of this exchange was primarily to analyze the performance produced by the Finns in the Swedish Rally, his 1st event in the Citroën Junior Team."The Swedish Rally was my 1st rally in a WRC. We finished in one piece: it was our objective and the most positive that we retain the weekend. Of course, I made some stupid mistakes which we could have done. We have paid dearly and they have severely damaged our results, "thought the pilot after the Swedish race, eager to see his copy to record personal progress as it considers essential to its progress.With the help of engineers from the rafters to mark, Raikkonen has reviewed some of these damaging errors committed in Sweden and the benefits of his C4. The ultimate goal of this work program is to guide the pilot so that it begins to make progress at its 2nd test, namely the Rally of Mexico will be played next week. This time to address other land – land – where Kimi has a little experience through his participation in the Rally Finland last year.His stay in France would have included a day of tests to finalize the preparations for the Mexican round. "Each mile that I travel with this car is very important. Plus I’ll improve my feeling with the car, the better it will go, "Raikkonen claims. However, the pilot finally made an impasse on this test: he suffers from pain in his back sufficiently disturbing to see this meeting, but without endangering its participation in the rally to come.Tomorrow, the Finns fly to Leon where waiting 15 special plotted in dusty mountains of Central America and some 7 Super Special which will not displease him. Farewell nails, sombreros time has come!…—————————-
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I’m sure we’ll see him in Top 15 in Mexico if he finishes the rally…..
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