First WRC Points for Raikkonen

Former Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen says
he achieved all he set out to in the Jordan Rally, and believes the
experience gained will stand him in good stead on the next round in
Turkey.

Raikkonen’s debut WRC season with the Citroen Junior Team got off to a
shaky start in Sweden when he drove into a snow bank, and got worse on
the next round in Mexico when he rolled his C4 WRC off the road. But in
Jordan, only his eighth-ever rally, a largely mistake-free performance
netted him a top ten result.

Eighth place was Raikkonen’ best finish in the World Rally Championship,
and secured him his first drivers’ championship points.

The 339 competitive kilometres of the Jordan Rally was the longest time
that the former Grand Prix champion has ever spent in a rally car on
gravel, and now he is looking forward to more action in Turkey at the
end of the month.

"From the beginning my goal was to get to the end of the rally and I’m
really pleased that we’ve been able to do that even though the
conditions were difficult," said Raikkonen. "As the stages went on I’ve
learned more and more, and my confidence has grown bigger as well. We
came to Jordan with very little experience of the car on gravel and now
we’ve practically doubled it. I’m getting to know the car better now,
but the important thing as well is that I’ve really enjoyed these three
days. We’re making progress, which is why we are here, and hopefully
this will continue on the next round in Turkey."

Kimi’s co-driver Kaj Lindstrom also enjoyed his first visit to the
Jordan Rally, scoring his first points as a co-driver since finishing
third with the legendary four-time World Champion Tommi Makinen on the
2003 Rally Great Britain.