Räikkönen, genius and recklessness

Scan from Autosprint magazine

Kimi Räikkönen was the special observed of the Rally of Bulgaria. The Finnish has a particular feeling with the tarmac, his natural ground, the surface on which he has grown, and on which he has immediately shown to be at his ease even in rally, catching a great second place at Lanterna Rally, one month ago, after he fought with Ogier.

And Kimi in Bulgaria didn’t disappoint at all: he started the race with a performance to frame, he was even fourth overall after the SS3, ahead the two official Ford drivers, Hirvonen and Latvala!

But then the Finnish went out, in SS4, jeopardizing in this way his race. In that stage, at the second run at Belmeken, the ex Ferrari driver was competing with Loeb and Sordo until the third split, and in the last but one split he was fifth at just 5’’8 from the wild French. It was fatal for him a left curve, 8 km to go.

"I arrived too fast in that curve – Räikkönen admitted – and for this reason I went out. I’m here to learn, and making mistakes you learn. I was doing good laps, I was going very fast, it’s a real shame, but unfortunately these things happen when you are pushing hard.” Then the Citroen Junior Team made a miracle, re-building the C4 car number 8 and giving the opportunity to Räikkönen to be at the start of the second day thanks to Super Rally rule.

"The most difficult thing this morning was to find the right motivation for Kimi to be fast again, after the ten minutes lost yesterday” explained his co-driver Kaj Lindström. We have to admit that Makinen’s ex co-driver was really good to motivate Räikkönen, who raised from 26th to 14th position. To point out the fifth time in the first run of the Sestrimo stage and the sixth at Lyubnitsa. “A useful day to make experience on tarmac – said Kimi, laconic as usual – and we are gaining positions, we see where we will able to be at the end of the race.” Räikkönen was not saying it, but he wanted the tenth position: he could reach Henning Solberg. Then, after an issue with the rear stabilizer bar, in the end Kimi had to be satisfied of the 11th place.

Now Räikkönen is ready to run his home race, in Finland. “A race that he already knows – remembers Lindström – so it should help us, even if last year we have raced with a Super2000, a completely different car from the C4 WRC.”

Source: AutoSprint
Courtesy:_TaniaS_

SPEED YES, RESULT NO

Kimi Bulgaria Rally review in Finnish

We are collecting experience here. We got a nice amount of it from Bulgaria's rally. Speed-wise it was already okay even though we didn't get anything result-wise.

It was a new place for everybody. The stages were great and it's a great rally as long as they put things in the organisator-department in condition. Now they even let the ambulance come to the stage when we were in the ditch.

I was left with a good mood. More good than bad. If I could have kept the car on the road on Friday during the last stage, Citroen would have got first five positions in the endresults for sure. Our pace would have been enough for the 5th position.

We started very well. I feel the grip on tarmac better and we can go faster. You could see it from the speed how the difference to the leading guys stayed small. All the work that we have been doing during the beginning of the season is starting to pay itself back. I still have a lot to learn but at least we saw that we were going in the right direction.

The roll bugs me. It wasn't any dramatical thing. I just waited a little too long before hitting the brakes. There was loose sand on that spot. Had it been clean we could have got it turned back on the road. Instead we went from a slow speed on the roof.

I didn't have the greatest feelings on Saturday morning. When we were those ten minutes behind, we were so far away that I didn't exactly have any other job than to take the remaining two days as testing.

Then it just started to go again. We saw that we got closer to the last points. On Sunday we got the car even better which will help in the following rallies on tarmac.

We did our everything to catch up with Henning Solberg but since he didn't make any mistake we just couldn't get close enough. If we would have drove that one cancelled stage, then we might have been able to get up in the group of ten.

I learned a lot again. Next we go to Jyskälä. We have a couple days of testing before it and we already have notes from last year. It's the highlight of the season and the feelings just get better and better now that we know the place from before.

It's a completely different thing to drive there with a WRC than with a S2000 but the stages are the same again. If we can make it without mistakes, then it's good.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM
Courtesy: Nicole

WRC RALLY BULGARIA 2010: KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN OFFICIAL WEB SITE

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM

Don't let this fool you, Kimi's quick again

Kimi Raikkonen put in his most convincing performance of his rallying career on last weekend's Rally Bulgaria: until he crashed, that is.

The 30-year-old Finn's pace on the asphalt event was better than anything he has shown since switching from Formula 1 to the World Rally Championship during the winter.

Fifth midway through the opening day (albeit still behind the other four Citroen C4 WRCs in the event), the Citroen Junior Team driver was, around 17s per stage slower than Sebastien Loeb.

By contrast, on the previous rally in Portugal, Raikkonen was over 34s per stage slower than the six-time World Champion - and those were shorter stages too; a favourable comparison and a sign of genuine progress on his part.

Split times from the stage on which the Finn crashed showed that he was actually quicker than Loeb during the opening two sectors, and was within 5s when the crash occurred.

Such progress will have given the 2007 F1 World Champion a great deal of heart; rival team bosses even tipped him for a podium finish after his pace on the early stages.

Raikkonen, who climbed a spot to 30th in the Castrol Rankings eventually came home 11th in the event after re-starting under Superally rules on the second day.

After only switching from F1 to the WRC last winter, the Citroen Junior Team driver has taken some time to bed in. A maiden points finish in Jordan and a career-best fifth place in Portugal have been proof of his improving form on the loose surfaces.

It is on asphalt though, if anywhere, where the iceman will really shine. Three of the last six rallies of the year are on sealed surfaces too. The rest had better watch out.

Source: castroldriverankings
Courtesy: _TaniaS_

Driving with Kimi – Kaj Lindström; Bad result but a lot of good

11th place was not what we went to Bulgaria for. But there were a lot of positives in this weekend's rally: the speed is there, it's just a shame that a small mistake, which had big consequences on the rally's opening day Friday, ruined the good result. Kimi just braked a little bit too late into one tightening right corner. He did try everything in that situation. When he realised that the car was not turning he tried to turn it with the handbrake but nothing could be done.

The race ended there from the 4th position. We were able to continue on the next two days thanks to the Super Rally rule and a 10 min time penalty but the chances for a good result were gone.

For us the main thing this season is not the result but the learning process. In Bulgaria we learned again a lot about the notes and our pace was good throughout the weekend. After six WRC rallies we were already able to drive pretty close to the top. When with our amount of experience we were only 2 s behind on a 30 km special stage with our amount of experience, that was not very much, not much at all. And we were after all the fastest Finnish pair of the race on several special stages.

Bad result but a lot of good. I have to be very pleased.

It was a good thing that the mechanics managed to get the car into shape and we could continue the rally since especially on Sunday we found new set-ups that suited Kimi really well. It was clearly noticeable that the driving got even better. After the last two special stages we agreed that this alone was worth continuing since we really did find such new things for the set-up that will surely help us on the dirty asphalt roads of Germany.

Before that we drive in Finland. It is a bit weird that during the next month I won't have to drive to the airport once. And our team mate changes for Rally Finland. Sebastian Ogier will rise to the main team and Dani Sordo, who's a familiar team mate for us from Arctic Lapland Rally and a nice dude, will drive alongside us. For Rally Finland we will drive som tests and we go there in good spirits. Some of the stages we know from last year. It's always nice to drive in Finland.

Have a nice rest of the summer everyone and we'll see each other on the last weekend of July in Jyväskylä!

Source: Kolmeks.fi
Courtesy: Dracaena

Räikkönen takes heart from Bulgaria

Bulgaria was by no means an easy event for ‘the iceman’, but Kimi Raikkonen is encouraged by the lessons learned so far on asphalt

Red Bull driver Kimi Raikkonen has been encouraged by his progress on the Rally Bulgaria, despite losing 10 minutes after missing the final stage of day one as the result of an accident.

Up until SS3 the former Grand Prix champion had been running in fourth place, until a gravelly right-hand corner caught him out. His Citroen went off the road and landed on its roof, but the damage was only cosmetic and the Finn was eventually able to continue under the super rally system, finishing 11th.

Now he feels that the experience gained will stand him in good stead for the three remaining asphalt rallies this year, in Germany, France and Spain.

"Some things were up and down but on the whole it was a good weekend," said Raikkonen. "The most important thing was to get used to driving the rally car on asphalt, which is obviously a completely different experience to driving a Formula One car. I feel a bit more comfortable on asphalt than I do on gravel, but rallying is still a totally different sport compared to racing and we have a lot to learn. Bit by bit the feeling is coming though, and I actually liked a lot of the roads here in Bulgaria: they were quite flowing with a nice rhythm."

Raikkonen will now get back to gravel with a two day test in Finland next week. "It will be nice to compete at home again and also to come back to a rally that I know a bit already," he added.

Citroen Junior Team manager Benoit Nogier said that he was impressed with Raikkonen’s progress on what was only his first World Championship asphalt rally. "If you consider his lack of experience, the times that Kimi has set are remarkable," he commented. "I think he has a lot of potential and this experience will definitely have helped him prepare for the remaining asphalt rallies."

Source: WRC

Kimi Räikkönen Interview from Dave Rally Bulgaria 2010

Source: bigraikkonenfan5

[Photos] More of Kimi on Rally Bulgaria

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KIMI JUST OUTSIDE THE TOP 10 IN BULGARIA

Kimi Räikkönen, Red Bull's fearless iceman and the 2007 Formula One World Champion, owes most of his success to a certain Edgar Purnell Hooley. In many ways, this important personality could be considered as the godfather of motorsport.

Hooley was walking along the road one day in 1901 when he saw some sticky tar spilt on the ground. Somebody had laid some gravel on it so that people could cross the puddle without getting their shoes dirty. The result was a remarkably strong, consistent and dust-free road surface. Hooley patented it the following year, under the name Tarmac.

Without him, there would be no racing circuits. Motorways would be made of loose gravel. And there would certainly not be any asphalt rallies. Bulgaria was the first of four asphalt events on the World Rally Championship this year, and it was also the very first time that Kimi tackled a WRC rally in a World Rally Car.

The results were astonishing. On his first day of competition, the iceman was fighting with the frontrunners. Right up until the final stage of the opening day, he was fourth overall after consistently setting top five stage times against vastly more experienced competitors.

Then there was a small indiscretion after Kimi went too fast into a right-hand corner on SS4, Belmeken Lake. Luckily the damage was just cosmetic, and thanks to a great job by the Citroen Junior Team mechanics Kimi was able to restart the second day under the super rally system, with a 10-minute penalty for missing the final stage of day one.

From that point on, Kimi was able to gain more experience at the wheel of his Citroen C4 WRC, which will be vital for the three remaining Tarmac rallies this year - courtesy of Mr Hooley - in Germany, France and Spain.

At the end of three tough days it was mission accomplished for Kimi, who finished 11th overall. Even on the final day he set two top-five stage times, underlining his commitment on what is still only his sixth World Championship rally.

"Some things were up and down but on the whole it was a good weekend," said Kimi at the finish in Borovets. "The most important thing was to get used to driving the rally car on asphalt, which is obviously a completely different experience to driving a Formula One car. I feel a bit more comfortable on asphalt than I do on gravel, but rallying is still a totally different sport compared to racing and we have a lot to learn. Bit by bit the feeling is coming though, and I actually liked a lot of the roads here in Bulgaria: they were quite flowing with a nice rhythm. Now we go back to gravel in Finland: it will be nice to compete at home again and also to come back to a rally that I know a bit already."

The experienced Kaj Lindstrom, who used to partner four-time World Rally Champion Tommi Makinen, added: "This was certainly our best performance of the year in terms of speed, but there is plenty more to come. If we had not had the problem on Friday then we would have been fourth and maybe even third, which would have been incredible. But the main thing is not the result; it's the learning process. We've learned a lot on this rally, with the pace notes as well, and it will all be very useful for the future. I'm feeling confident."

Source: RedBull Rallye

Kimi Räikkönen Crash SS14 + Interview at Rally Bulgaria 2010

Source: MTV3

Sebastien Loeb wins Rally Bulgaria!

Citroen C4 WRC driver Sebastien Loeb sealed victory on Rally Bulgaria today, round seven of the 2010 World Rally Championship, to extend his lead in the FIA Drivers' standings and head a record breaking formation finish for the French manufacturer.

Loeb, the defending and six-time World Champion, led the rally from beginning to end and finished 29.5sec ahead of his team-mate Dani Sordo who was second in another C4 WRC.

After a tense final day battle for second, Citroen privateer Petter Solberg had to settle for third, 6.8sec behind Sordo. Sebastien Ogier brought his C4 WRC home in fourth place to complete a 1-2-3-4 for Citroen - the best world championship finish for a manufacturer since Toyota scored a similar result on the 1993 Safari Rally.

Today's win was the 58th at World Championship level for Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena and gives him a total of 151 points in the drivers' championship. Sebastien Ogier is second in the series on a total of 100, while Ford team-leader Mikko Hirvonen is third with 86.

Overall:
Source: WRC

KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN GETS TO GRIPS WITH BULGARIA

Kimi Räikkönen switched from Formula One to the World Rally Championship because he wanted to experience something different. His wish has finally come true. On day two of the Rally Bulgaria, there were several differences that he noticed between Grand Prix racing and rallying.

For example, in no particular order:

1. There are no goats on the circuit in Formula One
2. A Grand Prix has never been held in a ski resort
3. There are considerably fewer than 43 cars on the grid in Formula One
4. You don't get the chance to re-start a Grand Prix after landing upside down
5. The alarm clock rarely goes off at 5am on a GP race weekend
6. A motorhome is just a truck in the WRC: not a small building
7. Changing a gearbox on a Formula One car takes longer than 12 minutes
8. You never see a woolly hat in an F1 paddock, unless it's made by Prada
9. Formula One mechanics do not generally use a hammer to repair their cars
10. Not many F1 spectators are called Miroslav and own a pig farm near Dolna Banya

These were just a few of the basic differences that Kimi took on board throughout the second day of the all-asphalt rally, based in Borovets. Doubtless there are more new things that he will discover over the course of the year.

After a great job from the Citroen Junior Team to fix Kimi's Red Bull-backed C4 WRC, which visited the Bulgarian scenery yesterday, the Iceman concentrated on building his confidence back up today and testing in preparation for the asphalt rallies still to come.

Kimi overcame tricky roads, variable temperatures, and challenging stages to set times that were in the top eight all day: a great achievement for somebody contesting their first World Championship asphalt rally.

Kimi commented: "It's not been so easy for me, because when you're not fighting for the top places then there's obviously not the same motivation. But in the end it was important for us to have the experience and the time in the car, so it's been a good day and I've enjoyed myself. We started quite far down in the order so the roads were dirty a lot of the time, but this is also part of rallying. In general though I've liked the stages today because they had a nice rhythm to them. Tomorrow there are four more stages and it's another good opportunity to learn some more. We need all the time in the car that we can get, so this is our main focus here."

Kimi's co-driver Kaj Lindstrom is also visiting Bulgaria for the first time, and he was equally pleased with the progress that Kimi made today. "It's all about getting the experience," he pointed out. "We've had no problems at all and we've been working on every aspect of the job, such as the pace notes. It's actually very easy to forget that this is only Kimi's first asphalt rally in the World Championship. By the time we finish we will have nearly doubled our experience on asphalt in this car, so we're improving all the time."

Source: RallyBuzz

Räikkönen: practice makes perfect

Although Kimi Raikkonen says that it’s hard to motivate himself under super rally conditions, the Finn has promised to make the most of the opportunity to accumulate more kilometres on asphalt.

Having re-joined the Rally Bulgaria this morning after an off on the fourth stage yesterday, Raikkonen is currently 20th. On the opening stage this morning he was fifth fastest, while on the second stage he was eighth fastest.

“The motivation is not the same if you are not fighting at the front,” he pointed out. “You don’t push so much when the conditions are tricky. But it’s very important that we were able to start the rally again today. At the moment, it’s all about testing for us. We need to get back our confidence and then hopefully we can set some quick times.”

Weather conditions this afternoon in Bulgaria look set to be mixed with a high chance of rain. Like most of the WRC crews, Raikkonen has chosen Pirelli’s soft option PZero tyres for the afternoon loop of three stages.

Following overnight repairs to his Citroen Junior Team C4 WRC, Raikkonen reported no mechanical problems.

Source: MaxRally

SupeRally For Kimi Räikkönen in Rally Bulgaria 2010

Source: Citroën WRC

[Photos] Kimi on Rally Bulgaria

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Kimi Räikkönen Crash in Rally Bulgaria 2010

Source: MTV3

Kimi: down but not out?

Despite a sizeable accident on the final stage of the Rally Bulgaria today, the Citroen Junior Team is still holding out hope that Kimi Raikkonen will be able to re-start the second day of the rally tomorrow.

Raikkonen went off less than eight kilometres from the finish of SS4, Belmeken Lake, where he had set fifth-fastest time in the morning.

Nonetheless, having secured fourth place following his team mate Sebastien Ogier’s off in the morning, Raikkonen set off on a more aggressive strategy in the afternoon. He was the only Citroen driver to have opted for Pirelli’s soft-compound tyres, banking on some rain affecting the final two stages.

“I think it’s a good decision,” he said at midday service. “We’ll try something different and see what happens.”

The 2007 Formula 1 World Champion ran at a comparatively conservative pace throughout the penultimate stage, setting sixth-quickest time, but pushed much harder on the final stage, setting the opening two fastest split times despite conditions remaining warm and dry.

Raikkonen then went off towards the end of the stage, landing on his car’s roof. Although the accident was big enough to bring out the yellow flags, Citroen is not giving up hope that the former Grand Prix champion’s C4 WRC can be fixed tonight so that he can start day two under the super rally regulations, with a five-minute penalty per stage missed.

This means that Raikkonen would re-start just outside the top 20 tomorrow, but with every possibility of scoring manufacturer points and acquiring additional experience.

Citroen Junior Team manager Benoit Nogier commented: “We will look at the car when it is back and see if we can re-start under super rally tomorrow. That is certainly our hope, but we can only assess this once we see the car properly. ”

Source: WRC

Kimi Räikkönen after Shakedown at Rally Bulgaria 2010

Source: Sportal.bg

Rally Bulgaria: SS3 - Junction overshoot costs Ogier second place

SS3 Batak Lake 2

Citroen Junior Team driver Sebastien Ogier dropped from second to seventh place on the third stage of Rally Bulgaria after missing a junction and getting his C4 WRC stuck for one minute.

The Frenchman misheard a pace note and went straight on a junction 5.1km from the start of the repeated Batak Lake stage. His car collected panel damage to its right-hand front corner but seems unscathed mechanically.

Rally leader Sebastien Loeb extended his unbroken run of stage wins, completing the test 2.7sec ahead of his nearest rival and team-mate Dani Sordo. Peter Solberg was third quickest, with Ford drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari Matti Latvala fourth and fifth fastest respectively.

Source: WRC

Rally Bulgaria 2010: SS2 - Loeb quickest again, Ogier up to second

SS2 Belmeken Lake 2

Frenchman Sebastien Loeb was the fastest man through stage two in Bulgaria, extending his rally lead to 16 seconds after the opening 59 kilometres of the rally.

Loeb's Citroen stable-mate Sebastien Ogier moved ahead of Dani Sordo into second place in the overall standings, while the closest man to Loeb on the stage was Petter Solberg - tackling his first rally with new co-driver Chris Patterson.

Solberg held fourth place overall, with Kimi Raikkonen rounding off an all-Citroen top five. Ford Focus driver Mikko Hirvonen holds sixth, 41.6 seconds off the lead.

Source: WRC