Kimi Räikkönen in SPOX interview: ”Vettel is the nicest guy of them all"

The quiet Finn called his retirement from Formula 1 still as a "time out" and leaves it open whether and when we will see him back on the grid. Currently he enjoys to drive rally.

In SPOX Räikkönen talks about his fashion line, the rally Germany and his friend Sebastian Vettel.

SPOX: Mr. Raikkonen, what is it like to be a rally driver? What is different from Formula 1?
Kimi Räikkönen: It's simple: everything. They are two entirely different disciplines. In Formula 1, the conditions for testing or training is quite the same, here everything (in the conditions, ed) changes. Imagine testing the car even at -25 ° C.

SPOX: Sounds crazy, so you like it....
KR: Yes, I love it! It is a new challenge for me, the biggest of my racing carer. It is very, very exciting.

SPOX: That means, the Formula 1 fans are never again going to see you in a GP car?
KR: I would not say that. We'll see. First, let's take this season to end and then clarify some things. Then we'll see.

SPOX: Speaking about driving – is it actually easier for you to do asphalt rallies?
KR: Although I have driven in F1 many years, it does not help really, because the asphalt on permanent lines is completely different than the road surface here in the World Rally Championship. The dimensions are different, change the surface itself, the roads are bumpy and the grip levels are sometimes lousy. Around the next corner again it can be completely different. That's not the case in Formula 1.

SPOX: At the Rally Germany, you have landed at place seven. Satisfied with the result?
KR: Yes, Germany was in Formula 1 never a good ground for me, at the weekends everything never went well. It is good that in rally driving it now seems to be better. I actually just wanted to finish the race and gain experience.

SPOX: You didn't take anything good out of F1?
KR: Well, there were three great, unforgettable years at Ferrari and I won the World Championship crown with them. The time at McLaren was also great, although unfortunately never could together win the title. But now I am just a rally driver.

SPOX: What makes Ferrari so special?
KR: It is full of traditions, but also full of emotions. My time in Maranello was an intense mixture of incredible joy and difficult moments that we have welded together as a team, as a family. I'm not really the compatible type with the Italians, but we found a common emotional basis. I have always given everything for Ferrari and they have returned it to me many times, even with my departure. There will always be great memories ...

SPOX: You have won nine races there. Which was the best victory?
KR: There were three victories that stand out: That was of course the first, 2007 in Melbourne, you can't have a better debut. Then my last success at Spa, when I won with an inferior car. And especially the victory at Interlagos, with whom I've become world champion.

SPOX: Allegedly that Renault will bring you, as a partner for Robert Kubica and other teams from here (F1, Ed) where also after you ...
KR: If I wanted to continue (in F1, Ed) it would not have been a problem. But I was really not that exited about any of the offers (I got, Ed) that I would have been immediately interested to commit. Therefore I have decided to go rallying for now.

SPOX In the current F1 salaries list you are still the third highest paid driver ...
KR: I still have a contract with Ferrari.

SPOX: Is it true that Pirelli wanted you to be their test driver for the 2011 tires?
KR: About that you have to talk to Steve (Robertson, Raikkonen's manager, Ed)

SPOX: You see the formula one now from the outside. What bothers you about the premier class?
KR: In Formula 1 there are too many things more important than the race. It is too political and no one says what he thinks, because he is afraid, it is taken out of context.

SPOX: Do you still check out Formula 1 racing?
KR: Hardly, some starts and highlights. I also hardly have any contact with the other drivers. Sometimes I play badminton with Sebastian Vettel.

SPOX: Can he win the title in 2010?
KR: I think so. But above all he is the nicest guy of them all.

SPOX: You recently published a fashionserie. How did that happen?
KR: My friend Uffe's a great designer who has already designed my helmets. My own style is important to me and therefore we thought to work together to do something. So we have now launch these new caps and some clothes. I hope people like them because it is what I like - cozy and yet cool.

Source: Spox.com
Courtesy: Julia

Kimi's Column: Fastest stage time and some points

Kimi German Rally Review

For sure, it’s a nice spice of this sport every single rally being so different from each other.

Obviously I didn’t have a clue what to expect from German Rally. In the end of the day it did not have that much to do with the real tarmac rallies. The roads were very dirty and some parts we had on gravel, too.

The main thing for us was to finish the rally. We did that, we got all the important miles eith the race speed plus we got more points to our total, too.

Once again I learn more of rally driving. We made a couple of mistakes and you cannot change that afterwards. I have to learn everything by myself and while making a mistake you always learn the most.

Before the rally many people asked me how much easier it is for me to have a rally on asphalt after racing in circuits for such a long time. Well, I can tell you, it’s not that huge advantage for me in rallies on tarmac. In Germany it felt great to go fast there. The roads were narrow and you have keep the focus at the peak all the time.

It was not easy. No question about that. Again, I had to search the right rythm in the beginning.

This is a very challenging rally and good for us, it’s over and done. Well, I made two mistakes on Sunday morning and because of that, Wilson managed to pass us and got the position six. I had a bad feeling for some time for loosing some points, but all in all, it’s important to keep on going with the patience and remember that making mistakes belongs to the process of learning rallies.

The pace notes worked quite well. The was no problem with that side it felt nice.

This was my third ever tarmarc rally with this Red Bull Citroen C4 car and my second WRC asphalt rally. I’m satisfied with gaining a lot of more experience from the asphalt rally driving. Im also happy for gaining my first ever fastesr stage timr in WRC rallies. I don’t know how much the top guys slowed it down in the last stage, but for a racing driver, the fastest time is always the fastest time.

Now we have a short break again. The nest rally in calendar is Japan and we don’t have any test before that. Obviously Japan will be very difficult for me as a rookie. I have heard that those stages are quite tricky.

But we keep on trying to do our best and let’s wait and see, what kind of speed we find there. Once again my target is to finish that rally, too.

Source: Kimiraikkonen.com

Räikkönen held back by set-up in Germany

Kimi Räikkönen’s hopes of a top-six finish on Rally Germany were hindered by the wrong set-up for the final day of the Trier-based event.

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

Lindström is pleased with Kimi's self-critisism

Kimi Räikkönen was very critical at himself after the morning because he didn't find the rhythm at once and the man thought that he was driving badly. In the afternoon at the second attempt Kimi improved right on the first stage 16,1, on the second 13,6 and on the third 18 seconds.

– When there was hay on the tarmac for the first time Kimi didn't immediately know what kind of traction it has. It went better in the afternoon. Self-critisism is a great trait in a man. When you do something and it doesn't go well you shouldn't be satisfied.

– I told Kimi in the morning 'Kimi, just continue the same way and don't start overtrying even though it doesn't feel that the times are starting to drop. It will come in the end, Kaj Lindström said.

– I mean it certainly wasn't any normal tarmac when there was hay on the road. Fortunately it got a little better in the afternoon, Räikkönen said.

HEIKKI KULTA

Source: Turun Sanomat
Courtesy: Nicole

The tarmac will immediately give Kimi a feeling in rally driving

This weekend Kimi Räikkönen will drive only his second tarmac rally in WRC. It raises the expectations when this surface is more familiar to the track-driver than snow and gravel is.

Would it help if all WRC-rallies would be on tarmac?

– I don't know. This rally is a completely different thing than the rally in Bulgaria. It was new for everybody. Here those others have been pushing these stages for many years and it gives them a huge advantage. But of course it's easier for me when we drive on tarmac.

– Tarmac is an easier surface because I immediately get a betten hang of it. Of course you learn that when you have drove on tracks all your life but even if this is rally it has nothing to do with driving on the track. It's just easier to get the feeling, Räikkönen told Turun Sanomat.

The speciality of Germany Rally is the 48 km long stage on concrete.

– We broke three tyres there when we made notes but they were civilian car tyres. In rally there won't be that kind of danger because the tyres are so hard. It isn't bumpy but it's really slippery so you can't afford to make any mistakes there because the concrete 'things' are so close.

Sebastien Loeb is the king of tarmac rallies.

– He drives well. He has been track-racing and is a Le Mans -driver. Loeb was fast on tarmac right from the beginning at it took time for him to learn to be fast on snow and gravel too, Räikkönen reminded.

Source: Turun Sanomat
Courtesy: Nicole