What do you make of your Rally Japan so far?“It’s been good actually, better than I expected. I always thought that this was going to be one of the most difficult rallies of the year and I was certainly right about that, but the main thing is that we’ve not made any mistakes and we’ve stayed consistent. We ended the first day 10th and now we’re eighth, which is not bad for someone with no real experience. It would obviously be nice to be closer to the front, but we need to be patient: we have to learn and that is always going to take time.”
Have you eaten any sushi yet?
“Actually I eat sushi all the time; it’s one of my favourite things. So I probably don’t eat any more sushi in Japan than I do back home in Europe… but I think it’s better here. It depends where you go. Like most things.”
'WHAT I LIKE ABOUT RALLYING IS THAT EVERY EVENT IS DIFFERENT' – RÄIKKÖNEN
What will you remember most about Japan?
“From this rally, lots of very narrow and complicated roads. Generally, probably the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix, which I won. That was a bit of a crazy race: there was rain in qualifying and that meant that we were down in 16th or 17th on the grid. Conditions for the race were much better and we were able to make our way up to the front, but it was only on the last lap that I could overtake Giancarlo Fisichella, who was leading, and win the race. That was a nice memory. I don’t think that I’m going to be winning anything here in Japan this time!”
Are you getting bored of people asking you what you’re going to do next year yet?
“I always get bored by those sorts of questions! There’s always lots of talking about this sort of thing, especially at this time of year. But actually I still haven’t decided yet because there are a few options to look at. When the time is right I will decide.”
You’ve got three more rallies left this year after this one: France and Spain on asphalt and Great Britain on gravel. Which one are you looking forward to most?
“Really I am looking forward to all of them, because what I like about rallying is that every event is different. You get more variety than Formula One because everything changes all the time, which is why it is so difficult for a beginner. But I think Rally Catalunya in Spain should be good for us, from what I hear. People tell me that the roads are fast and quite open, more like a racing circuit. And maybe France could be good too, as it is new for everyone. But I’m sure Britain will be quite a tough event for us – a bit like Japan!”
Source: RedBull
