Räikkönen started the final day 19.5 seconds up on Stobart Ford driver Matthew Wilson, but he was unable to contain the Englishman as he overhauled him and took sixth. Raikkonen’s Citroen Junior Team C4 WRC was running in a softer trim than previously as the team attempted to give the Finn more confidence.A source within the team said: “There was some rain overnight in the stages and we knew there would be come wet sections. We decided to soften the car, which would give Kimi more confidence to push. But then when he got into the stages, they were dry and the car was moving around – and using the tyres – more than we would have hoped. It was a shame, he was going well and we’re sure he would have held on to sixth.
”The highlight of the event for Raikkonen came on the 19th and final stage, where he was fastest on a round of the World Rally Championship for the first time. Unfortunately, that late charge wasn’t enough for the Red Bull driver to grab sixth from Wilson.
Raikkonen said: “It goes to show that experience is important. But that’s the objective for us this year: we want to build up the basic knowledge of how to be a rally driver. Some people might think it’s easy to go from Formula One to an asphalt rally, but it’s completely different: apart from maybe the superspecial stage, which is more like a racing track! The surfaces are changing all the time and that’s one of the most difficult things to get used to, along with the pace notes and all the different corners. But generally it’s been another very positive experience, and it was nice to win a stage as well.”
Source: MaxRally
