The first 'äm-äm' with a WRC-car is now wrapped. The positive thing was that we got in one piece to the finish line. I could have lived without making a few stupid mistakes. This is how it went, if the car goes off the track you hit immediately soft snow and you spin. There was snow everywhere. Because we couldn't see out at all we hit the snowbank - and got stuck in it.
It meant a shovel-job. You have to dig. It's normal and it's part of rallying. We know afterall that even those who now drive in the lead have also had to do some shoveling at some stage. I don't think Sibelius started with composing Finlandia right away.
All and all Sweden was an interesting weekend. Okay, maybe I didn't have any expectations but the pressure was hard when we took off. It was a bit difficult but it's good that it's now behind.
Every race is important at this stage. The more I get to drive this car the better I become. It already started to feel like it fit my hand better.
It relaxed after that. Because we drove the same stages twice it was already a bit easier to remember them.
Because we had problems in the beginning we decided that we don't even start to look for setups. We just took Loeb's setups and learned to drive with them. We concentrated on basic driving at this point and on staying on the road.
By doing that we got used to what the car does. Now it did this. When you know next time better what it does you can also ask more from the car.
Of course driving out is always frustrating. You just had to pick up yourself again and again. It's the same at the track too. Racing is never so easy that you just show up, jump in the car and start winning.
It was cool when a few stages went okay. The notes are decisive. When the note is completely right it's completely different to drive fast than if it's even a bit wrong. There was a few spots where my notes didn't hit at all.
I told already beforehand that starting the serie on Sweden's snow is probably the most difficult place of all places. I haven't drove this car flat out with other chassis but I guess that it won't be more difficult when we go on gravel.
If we are in rally next year I bet that we will go completely differently in Sweden. Now we concentrate on the next race - Mexico and gravel.
We will have time to drive one test with Kaitsu in France before we go there far away. After that it will be Viva la Mexico. It's going to be cool to see Kaitsu with a sombrero...
Source: kimiraikkonen.com
Courtesy: Nicole @OF
