Räikkönen to MTV3: My Jyväskylä victory may take some time

After Finland's WRC rally MTV3 asked Kimi Räikkönen whether his name will some day be written on the honorable list of Jyväskylä winners. Jari-Matti Latvala was added on that list on Saturday.

After the race Räikkönen almost promised to return to Jyväskylä's gravel roads next year.

-It's very much possible. Nothing is certain but it's a bigger chance than me driving in F1.

Reaching the victory battle in Rally Finland demands previous experience.

-There's fast roads here that one can drive really fast when one knows them. I've noticed that it would be possible to drive a lot faster into many places but that will come after driving them enough. This was one of the most difficult rallies. Rally Finland is well organized and there were a lot of spectators. The feeling is a bit different than in a lot of other places. It was a wonderful experience, Räikkönen said.

Next Räikkönen heads to Germany for rally tests. So he won't participate in Helsinki Motorsport Weekend next week.

Source: MTV3
Courtesy: Dracaena

Vettel: Stuck with a rock in an awkward place

Friday's practice sessions at the German F1 Grand Prix were played out in the rain at Hockenheim today and several drivers found themselves heading off the track at high speed. Among them was Sebastian Vettel, but it hasn't dampened his enthusiasm for his home grand prix.

'What a day! The weather was pretty lousy as I discovered for myself when I was driving toward the motodrome, I ran a bit too wide on the left, caught a slippery patch and landed in the gravel. Nothing happend but I had to drive back to the garage before I could get all the stones out of the seat.

I really want to take a moment to thank all of the fans that showed up today despite the weather. I can't remember a Friday in Hockenheim where I saw that many people in the grandstands. Amazing!

Because of the weather, I can't say much about where we or our rivals are after practice. Both Ferraris looked really good and even though the McLarens had a hard time, we can't write them off.

We looked in good shape today, and I like this track, especially because I know it quite well. We're going to have work hard this weekend but I have a very good feeling, especially about tomorrow's qualifying.

All the best.'

Sebastian

Source: RedBull.com

One more point in the WRC for Kimi

Kimi does the little ant

In Portugal another point has arrived for Kimi Raikkonen, who finished in the top ten for the third time in a row (considering that in New Zeland he didn't race).

This time there is an all in all dignified tenth place after a honest race: "Kimi improves a lot in the second run of the stages - explains his co-driver Kaj Lindstrom - and above all is growing race after race. The store of experience so far accumulated in driving on gravel gave him the opportunity to improve in his driving. He's enjoying, he likes rallies and he has a good approach."

Now Kimi is going to race the Rally della Lanterna in Italy (11-12th June), to make experience for the next WRC race, Bulgaria on 9-11th July, first race on tarmac of the Championship. "On tarmac Kimi should definitely go better - says Lindstrom - because it's his natural ground, that on which he has always raced."

Source: Autosprint
Courtesy: TaniaS

Gravel stages to feature on Rally de España

The organisers of Rally de España have revealed that in a break from its traditional all-asphalt format, this year's event will feature a mixture of road surfaces with more than 70 per cent of Friday's mileage run on gravel.

The RACC Automóvil Club has confirmed a series of changes for this year's event, the penultimate round of the World Rally Championship, which will be held from 22 to 24 October.

The rally's opening day features two mixed asphalt-gravel stages and one all-gravel stage. Of Friday's 136 timed kilometres, 73 per cent will be driven on gravel with the remaining 27 per cent on asphalt. The mixed surface challenge will force teams to start with gravel settings on their cars and change suspension, brakes and wheels at the end of the day ready for the sealed surface roads of days two and three.

“We are and we want to continue being an asphalt rally, but we have included a mixed day. This new rally concept benefits the show, both for spectators and for the media," explained RallyRACC Clerk of the Course Aman Barfull.

"The Cyprus Rally in 2009 was the first to introduce an asphalt day in a gravel rally. We are doing the contrary, i.e. including gravel stages in an asphalt rally. In Cyprus all cars were fitted with gravel suspensions and wheels throughout the race, while at the RallyRACC these elements will have to be changed at the end of the first day," he added.

For the sixth year in a row, stages will be based in the Tarragona and Costa Daurada regions, with the Service Park in the city of Salou at the PortAventura theme park. Each of the rally's three days comprises a loop of stages to be run once in the morning and then repeated in the afternoon.

Friday's opening day comprises three stages, starting with 'Terra Alta' (35km) which starts on gravel, continues on asphalt, changes back to gravel and finishes again on asphalt. 'La Ribera d’Ebre' will offer 15km with a pure gravel surface, while 'Les Garrigues' (18km) will mix both surfaces, starting and finishing on gravel, with a central section on asphalt.

Saturday features three special stages which were used in 2009: 'Santa Marina' (26km); 'La Mussara' (20km) and 'Riudecanyes' (16km). Sunday's third and final day will include the longest stage of the rally (El Priorat, 42km) and the shortest (La Serra d’Almos, 4km) both of which featured in 2009.

To help teams prepare for the mixed surface challenge, Thursday's shakedown has been switched from an asphalt road in Riudecanyas to a mixed surface road on the outskirts of Salou featuring 1km of gravel and 2km of asphalt.

Source: WRC