Video: Jean Alesi interviews Kimi
You just can’t help but smile and laugh along with them…
| Source: canalplus.fr | courtesy of RedSpaceF1 |
Raikkonen calls for F1 to be more exciting
Kimi Raikkonen says that he thinks something needs to be done to make Formula 1 more exciting. Raikkonen is one of the stalwarts on the grid, and is the eldest driver. Himself, Jenson Button & Fernando Alonso all joined Formula 1 at the start of the millennium – an era where the cars used 3 litre V10s, grooved tyres and saw the re-introduction of launch & traction control after a decade without.
Raikkonen says he thinks Formula 1 is not the thrill it once was: “When I came into Formula, it was more exciting for everybody. It really was the top.”
Speaking in an interview with Canal+’s Jean Alesi, Raikkonen explained to his former opponent:
“It was a long time ago, so you would expect the cars now to be faster, more exciting. But obviously with the rule changes, they tried to make them slower. I’m sure something has to be done to make it more exciting for people to watch, and really for them to see the speed…make it a bit more dangerous…that’s all part of the game.”
“Obviously you don’t want to see anyone get hurt, but that would make it more exciting.”
His long-time rival and 2014 Ferrari team-mate Fernando Alonso made the point at the Monaco Grand Prix that he felt Formula 1 cars were no longer as challenging as they were at the start of his career in 2001:
“The last time I felt challenged mentally and physically in a car was 2005, the cars were 8 seconds or so faster. The winner of this year’s Malaysian Grand Prix would have been lapped 6 times by the winner of the Malaysian GP in 2006, so when you have 6 or 7 minutes over a race, 7-8 seconds a lap quicker, that is very demanding physically and mentally. Everything was pushed to the limit 10 years ago.”
Asked by Alesi how he felt things were going at Ferrari during his “second career” after returning to the sport in 2012, Kimi said that his head isn’t being turned by other teams at the moment:
“There are many good teams in F1, but Ferrari is different. It was very nice to win first time, first year with Ferrari. Obviously, lots of things have happened since then but I’m back with Ferrari now. Im happy, the team this year is the best they’ve been since I joined, probably the best team I’ve ever been with. The way it works, the atmosphere…
Ferrari is Ferrari…you’ll always choose that if you can.” [via formulaspy.com]
Video: Interview with Kimi by Toni Vilander
Over the Monaco Grand Prix week, Kimi was filmed for an interview by long-time friend/racing driver/compatriot/MTV3 presenter Toni Vilander. Kimi talks about racing and the different times past. The video was restricted but now it’s finally viewable from outside Finland thanks to @CokeFin for his hard work capturing and uploading for us. Kiitos!
Kimi talks on current Ferrari vibe
Two hungry world champions, one maverick boss and a reliably fast racing car. Has Ferrari found a winning recipe for the 2015 Formula One season?
Kimi Raikkonen — the last man to claim a world title for the famous Italian team, back in 2007 — agrees the “Prancing Horse” is looking good ahead of Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
With four races gone in 2015, Ferrari is second to Mercedes in the constructor standings — and is pushing the world champion hard.
“The feeling inside the team is just great,” Raikkonen told CNN’s The Circuit. “We are trying to get Ferrari in a winning position every weekend.”
The Finn has a new teammate at Maranello this year, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel who joined from Red Bull.
The two drivers have a lot in common: both are new dads and live in Switzerland, where they occasionally face each other on the badminton court.
“We know each other,” Raikkonen explained with typical understatement. “He’s a very normal guy and he’s easy to work with.
“There’s no politics, if there’s something wrong we can say to each other and work it out.”
So far, Vettel has emerged as Ferrari’s No. 1 driver. The German ended the team’s victory drought with a brilliant strategic win at the Malaysian Grand Prix, and was third in Australia and China.
But a revitalized Raikkonen fought back at the last grand prix in Bahrain, finishing second to Mercedes’ race winner Lewis Hamilton as Vettel came home in fifth.
“We are trying to beat each other,” revealed Raikkonen, whose last race win came with Lotus in 2013.
“But it’s a nice friendly fight and it’s great for the team. The whole atmosphere inside the team is great.”
A new broom has been sweeping through Ferrari’s headquarters in the shape of Maurizio Arrivabene.
The Italian was a surprise appointment as team principal in November but his straight talking, not to mention his eye-catching tattoo, have impressed.
“I like how he runs things,” said Raikkonen. “You get the answer from him, it’s either yes or no, there’s nothing in the middle.
“Maurizio is exactly the guy that Ferrari needed. He’s a very hard-working guy and very fair but if something is not correct he will tell you.”
Telling it like it is meant Arrivabene told the media after Raikkonen’s Bahrain podium: “I can officially state that he’s back. He showed what a race animal he is.”
The 58-year-old didn’t pull any punches on his assessment of Vettel’s race, commenting: “Sebastian made a couple of mistakes today … Otherwise we could have had two drivers on the rostrum. But he’s a human being, as we all are.”
Vettel has a three-year contract with Ferrari while Raikkonen’s deal runs out at the end of the 2015 season.
Arrivabene said last month Ferrari would not yet exercise an option to extend the driver’s contract for another year because he wants to keep him motivated.
“Kimi is giving the best when he is a bit in trouble. This is a psychological approach,” he told reporters.
With two-time world champion Hamilton and Williams’ Finnish rising star Valtteri Bottas linked to a future Ferrari drive, Raikkonen was keen to state his case.
When asked if he would like to stay at Ferrari, the 35-year-old replied: “Yes, of course.
“They know very well what I would like to do, and we have a very good understanding but until there is something 100% you don’t know.
“We all know what we want to achieve this year and in the future.”
| Source: cnn.com |
Dat sound! Kimi entertains huge crowds in Budapest
The Nagy Futam event has just come to a close in Budapest and, as predicted, it drew a huge crowd of fans. The nice sunny weather definitely helped. Around 300.000 people cheered on the various show runs held over the course of the day. After the obligatory meeting with the press and then greeting the fans, Kimi Raikkonen got behind the wheel of an F10, completing almost ten laps, much to the delight of the spectators.
“It’s a pleasure to be able to bring the spectacle of Formula One closer to our fans, thanks also to the support of our partners, in this case Kaspersky Lab,” commented Kimi. “Budapest is a beautiful city and we will be back here for the Grand Prix at the end of July, while before then, in less than a month, my team-mate Sebastian Vettel will be here to take part in the Ferrari Racing Days.”
| Source: formula1.ferrari.com | extra Kimi quotes from mcsatorna.hu and index.hu |
Video Interview with Kimi:
Interview Translation:
@miezicat1 @speedy_mary Here you go, should be roughly correct pic.twitter.com/PN6AXtbL9G
— Mark Lovas (@hunocsi) May 1, 2015
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