Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Rally Japan. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Rally Japan. Tampilkan semua postingan
Senin, 27 September 2010
Jumat, 17 September 2010
Kimi's Column: SAYONARA!
Kimi Rally Japan review in Finnish
I would never claim that the rally in Japan is easy but in the end it wasn't the world's toughest either. The route was challenging and the roads were really narrow at times. It was cool to run it.
We just went off the road. My blunder, can't help it. It happened during the last note, I got it a bit wrong and it was immediately sayonara. We came a bit too fast to the corner and I couldn't get it back on the road and so we fell quietly into the bushes.
Because there wasn't a soul in the landscape we couldn't get out of there, just me and Kaitsu.
It was the second retirement this season and I didn't get all the kilometers under my belt. Of course it bugs me and it bugs because I could have taken that corner more easily. It just hurts everytime in rally when you make a small mistake. On F1-tracks you are always forgiven more.
The starting position was tricky because we went straight on gravel after Rally Germany. We had no testing so it had some affect when we first took care of the super special stage in the stadium and went after that to run on the dirt roads in the forest.
Technical problems in the beginning are annoying. The machines just refused to gallop so we couldn't really get anywhere when the car didn't work like it should have worked. After we found the right setups it started to show in the stagetimes too.
We just didn't make it to the finish line. What was important was that we drove until the last day and collected again some experience from a different rally. When you are in this game you just have to get used to the fact that everything can happen. It's after all the number 1 -thing in this learning year.
The next rally is in France then. Others haven't drove there either and because it's a tarmac rally it's of course a more familiar surface to me than these Sapporo's forest paths are. It's good to get some testing at this point so that we get a better feeling of the rally.
It will be my 4th rally on tarmac with a WRC-car. I have the same goals.
The most important thing is to finish the rally and avoid the bigger blunders.
Source: KimiRaikkonen.com
Courtesy: Nicole
I would never claim that the rally in Japan is easy but in the end it wasn't the world's toughest either. The route was challenging and the roads were really narrow at times. It was cool to run it.We just went off the road. My blunder, can't help it. It happened during the last note, I got it a bit wrong and it was immediately sayonara. We came a bit too fast to the corner and I couldn't get it back on the road and so we fell quietly into the bushes.
Because there wasn't a soul in the landscape we couldn't get out of there, just me and Kaitsu.
It was the second retirement this season and I didn't get all the kilometers under my belt. Of course it bugs me and it bugs because I could have taken that corner more easily. It just hurts everytime in rally when you make a small mistake. On F1-tracks you are always forgiven more.
The starting position was tricky because we went straight on gravel after Rally Germany. We had no testing so it had some affect when we first took care of the super special stage in the stadium and went after that to run on the dirt roads in the forest.
Technical problems in the beginning are annoying. The machines just refused to gallop so we couldn't really get anywhere when the car didn't work like it should have worked. After we found the right setups it started to show in the stagetimes too.
We just didn't make it to the finish line. What was important was that we drove until the last day and collected again some experience from a different rally. When you are in this game you just have to get used to the fact that everything can happen. It's after all the number 1 -thing in this learning year.
The next rally is in France then. Others haven't drove there either and because it's a tarmac rally it's of course a more familiar surface to me than these Sapporo's forest paths are. It's good to get some testing at this point so that we get a better feeling of the rally.
It will be my 4th rally on tarmac with a WRC-car. I have the same goals.
The most important thing is to finish the rally and avoid the bigger blunders.
Source: KimiRaikkonen.com
Courtesy: Nicole
Senin, 13 September 2010
Minggu, 12 September 2010
RED BULL ON STAGE - RALLY JAPAN, DAY 3
"Banzai!" is a typical Japanese battle cry, traditionally used by soldiers charging bravely into battle even when the odds are stacked against them. It's all about attempting the nearly impossible, such as the modern phenomenon of the 'banzai skydive': the act of throwing a parachute from a flying plane and eventually jumping out after it, in the fervent hope of catching the parachute up
Appropriately enough, the record for banzai skydiving is held by a Japanese gentleman, Yasuhiro Kubo, who waited for a courageous 50 seconds in between throwing out his parachute and deciding to go and retrieve it.
Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 Formula One champion, has never been skydiving. But attempting Rally Japan, one of the most specialised events on the world rally calendar, with just nine WRC outings in a top car behind him was a bit like throwing the parachute out first and wondering how to catch it later.
During the first two days the Red Bull driver had a trouble-free run, climbing as high as eighth overall in the land of the rising sun. Driving a rally car is as different to Formula One as rugby is to football, but Kimi showed excellent consistency by setting eighth-fastest time on all of Saturday's stages apart from one, where he was sixth.
The first stage this morning is where it all went wrong. Halfway through the Bisan test on Sunday, Kimi misheard a pace note. The car slid wide, the engine stalled and the crew slithered off the road. It was a very low-speed off and the Citroen was completely undamaged but with no spectators around, it was impossible to get back on the stage.
"After steering clear of mistakes for so long, it's really disappointing that such a small thing caused us to retire," said Kimi. "I just didn't quite understand the note, so we were a bit too quick into the corner. I tried to get the car back but unfortunately there was nothing to do and we went off. If there had been some spectators around then we would have had no problem to get back onto the road but it was in a place where nobody was there so unfortunately that's it. We learned a lot though and now we've got two asphalt rallies coming up, so we're going to be trying our best to come away with a good result."
Japan is turning into an unlucky event for co-driver Kaj Lindstrom, as he also failed to finish on his last outing in Hokkaido back in 2005. "We didn't deserve this; it was nobody's fault," said Kaj when he and Kimi got back to service in Sapporo. "There's a lot going on in the rally car, so it's very easy to mishear a pace note and it was a tricky place. We were unlucky that there were no spectators, otherwise we could have continued. But there are a lot of positive things that we can take from this rally: yesterday was one of the best days we have ever driven on gravel and we are getting better all the time."
Kimi built his reputation on asphalt, so he's now looking forward to heading back to his favourite surface for the all-new Rallye de France at the end of this month. It's sure to be another banzai attack from the Iceman and he can't wait.
Source: RedBullRallye
Appropriately enough, the record for banzai skydiving is held by a Japanese gentleman, Yasuhiro Kubo, who waited for a courageous 50 seconds in between throwing out his parachute and deciding to go and retrieve it.Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 Formula One champion, has never been skydiving. But attempting Rally Japan, one of the most specialised events on the world rally calendar, with just nine WRC outings in a top car behind him was a bit like throwing the parachute out first and wondering how to catch it later.
During the first two days the Red Bull driver had a trouble-free run, climbing as high as eighth overall in the land of the rising sun. Driving a rally car is as different to Formula One as rugby is to football, but Kimi showed excellent consistency by setting eighth-fastest time on all of Saturday's stages apart from one, where he was sixth.
The first stage this morning is where it all went wrong. Halfway through the Bisan test on Sunday, Kimi misheard a pace note. The car slid wide, the engine stalled and the crew slithered off the road. It was a very low-speed off and the Citroen was completely undamaged but with no spectators around, it was impossible to get back on the stage.
"After steering clear of mistakes for so long, it's really disappointing that such a small thing caused us to retire," said Kimi. "I just didn't quite understand the note, so we were a bit too quick into the corner. I tried to get the car back but unfortunately there was nothing to do and we went off. If there had been some spectators around then we would have had no problem to get back onto the road but it was in a place where nobody was there so unfortunately that's it. We learned a lot though and now we've got two asphalt rallies coming up, so we're going to be trying our best to come away with a good result."
Japan is turning into an unlucky event for co-driver Kaj Lindstrom, as he also failed to finish on his last outing in Hokkaido back in 2005. "We didn't deserve this; it was nobody's fault," said Kaj when he and Kimi got back to service in Sapporo. "There's a lot going on in the rally car, so it's very easy to mishear a pace note and it was a tricky place. We were unlucky that there were no spectators, otherwise we could have continued. But there are a lot of positive things that we can take from this rally: yesterday was one of the best days we have ever driven on gravel and we are getting better all the time."
Kimi built his reputation on asphalt, so he's now looking forward to heading back to his favourite surface for the all-new Rallye de France at the end of this month. It's sure to be another banzai attack from the Iceman and he can't wait.
Source: RedBullRallye
Sabtu, 11 September 2010
KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
At the end of the second day of the Rally Japan – the first time that Kimi Räikkönen had been in a rally car on gravel for more than a month – the flying Finn shared his thoughts exclusively with us…
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
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
RED BULL ON STAGE - RALLY JAPAN, DAY 2.
Japan seems to love motorsport but hate horsepower. While Red Bull's Kimi Raikkonen and the other World Rally Championship competitors power down the stages in Hokkaido, many of the spectators watching them will drive home in cars that have about a sixth of the horsepower of Kimi's Citroen Junior Team C4 WRC
The Japanese 'kei car' regulations are designed to encourage mini cars to ease space on crowded roads by offering important tax advantages. It's no surprise that they have become incredibly popular, with nearly two million of them sold last year. At a maximum of 3.4 metres long, they are about a metre shorter than Kimi's rally car - but many of them also have four-wheel drive and turbochargers at their disposal, just like Kimi.
Mini cars have to make use of every bit of technology available to get the most out of their permitted 660cc engines. Luckily, Kimi had considerably more power at his disposal as he tackled the eight demanding stages that made up the second day of Rally Japan: only the ninth World Championship event of his brief career to date in the C4 WRC.
Having started the day in a point-scoring 10th place, Kimi made the most of the experience he had gained over the previous day to move up to eighth. For the flying Finn, it is all about gaining knowledge of some of the trickiest stages that he will face all year. Showing his consistency he set eighth-quickest time on all the stages today apart from one, where he was classified sixth.
"I'm pleased with the way that things have gone today, especially because the guys in front of me have really been pushing hard, if you look at the gaps at the top," said Kimi, the winner of the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix. "We've made no mistakes today and we've kept a consistent pace, which is the only way we are going to learn. My target before this rally was just to get to the finish and take away as much knowledge as I can, and so far I would say that we are on course to achieve this goal. The car has been really good today too: we were able just to concentrate on our driving and we learned a lot. Of course there is still some way to go, but if we can finish in this position tomorrow I will be quite happy."
Co-driver Kaj Lindstrom, who has been with Kimi ever since the former Grand Prix champion made his rally debut last year, added: "Today was actually much better than yesterday because we definitely benefited from the experience of driving on these roads after not being on gravel for more than a month. The gaps to the people in front of us have come down consistently, and that's what we're going to keep working on."
Kimi has steered clear of mistakes all day but tomorrow it will be even more important for him to have a clean run over the eight stages that remain, as there is no service halt in between them. It's a tough task that needs drivers to stay cool - so it's just as well that Kimi is the Iceman...
Source: RedBullrallye
The Japanese 'kei car' regulations are designed to encourage mini cars to ease space on crowded roads by offering important tax advantages. It's no surprise that they have become incredibly popular, with nearly two million of them sold last year. At a maximum of 3.4 metres long, they are about a metre shorter than Kimi's rally car - but many of them also have four-wheel drive and turbochargers at their disposal, just like Kimi.Mini cars have to make use of every bit of technology available to get the most out of their permitted 660cc engines. Luckily, Kimi had considerably more power at his disposal as he tackled the eight demanding stages that made up the second day of Rally Japan: only the ninth World Championship event of his brief career to date in the C4 WRC.
Having started the day in a point-scoring 10th place, Kimi made the most of the experience he had gained over the previous day to move up to eighth. For the flying Finn, it is all about gaining knowledge of some of the trickiest stages that he will face all year. Showing his consistency he set eighth-quickest time on all the stages today apart from one, where he was classified sixth.
"I'm pleased with the way that things have gone today, especially because the guys in front of me have really been pushing hard, if you look at the gaps at the top," said Kimi, the winner of the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix. "We've made no mistakes today and we've kept a consistent pace, which is the only way we are going to learn. My target before this rally was just to get to the finish and take away as much knowledge as I can, and so far I would say that we are on course to achieve this goal. The car has been really good today too: we were able just to concentrate on our driving and we learned a lot. Of course there is still some way to go, but if we can finish in this position tomorrow I will be quite happy."
Co-driver Kaj Lindstrom, who has been with Kimi ever since the former Grand Prix champion made his rally debut last year, added: "Today was actually much better than yesterday because we definitely benefited from the experience of driving on these roads after not being on gravel for more than a month. The gaps to the people in front of us have come down consistently, and that's what we're going to keep working on."
Kimi has steered clear of mistakes all day but tomorrow it will be even more important for him to have a clean run over the eight stages that remain, as there is no service halt in between them. It's a tough task that needs drivers to stay cool - so it's just as well that Kimi is the Iceman...
Source: RedBullrallye
CITROËN JUNIOR TEAM, RALLY JAPAN 2010 – DAY 2
Dani Sordo and Diego Vallejo enjoyed an excellent second day over the Hokkaido stages in Japan. Thanks to two fastest stage times, the Citroën Junior Team’s Spanish crew got closer to the lead.They will start the final sprint tomorrow just 15 seconds from the leader.
Increasing their pace from the first day, Kimi Räikkönen and Kaj Lindström gained two places to climb to eighth overall.
Dani Sordo and Kimi Räikkönen checked out of parc fermé this morning occupying fifth and 10th places respectively. On the first stage of the day, Dani Sordo showed himself to be instantly comfortable with a second-fastest time.
He continued his progress by setting third-fastest time on the 33.76-kilometre
Kamuycep 1 stage (SS12) and then he went fastest of all on Kina 1 (SS13). In just one loop of stages, Dani had gained 22.3 seconds to close to within less than 15 seconds of the leader.
“The car feels very competitive this morning,” commented Dani. “The engineers have done a really good job to make our Citroën C4 WRC suit the conditions. We’re in the thick of the frontrunners, and it’s great fun to be fighting at the top of the timesheets!”
Kimi Räikkönen benefited from Matthew Wilson’s retirement in the morning to make up a place in the overall classification. Then the Finn grew in confidence to overhaul Federico Villagra. By the end of SS12, he was up to eighth. “I’ve had a good feeling with the car since yesterday’s lunchtime service, so we’re not making any more adjustments to the set-up,” said Kimi. “Now our aim is to keep on going like this. We have to keep trying to improve our times all the way to the end.”
In the afternoon, Dani Sordo was able to stay with the pace of the leaders. The Spaniard had planned to change the set-up of his car in order to optimise its performance on stages that now featured deep ruts after the first passage in the morning. With the help of his engineers, Sordo managed to find settings that allowed him to post another fastest stage time on the 33-kilometre Kamuycep 2 test. He added a third fastest time to his collection on Kina 2.
Heading into the final day, Dani Sordo now occupies a promising fourth place, just 15 seconds off the rally leader. “I think I lost a bit too much time on the first stage this afternoon,” said Dani. “As for everything else, the rest of the day went extremely well. We made a lot of progress and we’re in a good position for tomorrow now. The only thing we can do is push!”
Kimi Räikkönen reinforced his position by putting together a string of eighth-fastest stage times, keeping consistently with 1.8 seconds per kilometre of the leader. “As always, the second run through the stages was easier for me,” he concluded. “Experience counts for a lot on these roads. I’m very pleased with my driving. Now we need to continue like this!”
Team Manager Benoit Nogier concluded:
“Dani is in a very good position. It’s a big pleasure for us to see him so close to the leader, having set a fastest time on the longest stage of the rally. He definitely showed impressive consistency. We’re in the midst of a very exciting rally now, with five or six drivers swapping mere seconds on the stages, including Dani. Now we’re hoping that he drives as quickly as possible again tomorrow. We need to make sure that we have nothing to regret by the afternoon.
"Kimi has driven one of his best days on gravel of the entire season. That’s another source of big satisfaction for us. The target is to continue like this, with the same consistent performance from both our drivers and our C4 WRCs!”
Source: RedBullRallye
Räikkönen makes experience pay
Former Grand Prix champion Kimi Räikkönen has been encouraged by his performance on the second day of the Rally Japan - and he says that the experience gained on the tricky gravel roads will stand him in good stead for the future
Räikkönen started the day 10th and ended it eighth, having set eighth-fastest time on all of the day’s eight stages bar one - where he was sixth. The Finn steered clear of mistakes and is now targeting his fifth points finish from the nine WRC rallies that he has contested to date this year.
“For me, the main thing is that the consistency is coming,” said Räikkönen, who drives for the Citroën Junior Team. “Today we were able to go at a good pace and keep the same sort of gap to the guys in front, even though they were all pushing very hard. It helped me to have some experience of the roads: until yesterday we had not driven on gravel for more than a month, and the second passage through the stages is always much easier.”
The 30-year-old reported no mechanical problems, but was also pleased that he had remained error-free throughout the rally so far. “If we can get to the end with no mistakes at all, then that would be very positive,” he added. “OK, it would be nice to be closer to the front but you have to be patient. I need to learn and that takes time.”
The 2007 Formula One World Champion is also hoping that the experience gained in Japan will help him on the season-closing Rally Great Britain. “Maybe there will be some things in common,” he concluded. “The surface could be quite similar, but I don’t really know. In any case it’s good to have this experience of driving on soft gravel.”
Source: WRC
Räikkönen started the day 10th and ended it eighth, having set eighth-fastest time on all of the day’s eight stages bar one - where he was sixth. The Finn steered clear of mistakes and is now targeting his fifth points finish from the nine WRC rallies that he has contested to date this year.“For me, the main thing is that the consistency is coming,” said Räikkönen, who drives for the Citroën Junior Team. “Today we were able to go at a good pace and keep the same sort of gap to the guys in front, even though they were all pushing very hard. It helped me to have some experience of the roads: until yesterday we had not driven on gravel for more than a month, and the second passage through the stages is always much easier.”
The 30-year-old reported no mechanical problems, but was also pleased that he had remained error-free throughout the rally so far. “If we can get to the end with no mistakes at all, then that would be very positive,” he added. “OK, it would be nice to be closer to the front but you have to be patient. I need to learn and that takes time.”
The 2007 Formula One World Champion is also hoping that the experience gained in Japan will help him on the season-closing Rally Great Britain. “Maybe there will be some things in common,” he concluded. “The surface could be quite similar, but I don’t really know. In any case it’s good to have this experience of driving on soft gravel.”
Source: WRC
Jumat, 10 September 2010
Friday wrap: Solberg battles illness to lead in Japan
Petter Solberg has not won a round of the world championship since Rally GB in 2005 but all that could be about to change after the Norwegian completed the opening day of Rally Japan with a lead of almost 10 seconds in his privately-run Citroen C4 WRC.
While that might not represent a huge advantage, Solberg has battled a fever throughout the day, which he admits has masked some of his pace.
“It has not been easy at all today,” said Solberg. “I am feeling a lot better than I was but it’s very strange when you don’t feel okay and don’t have the energy you need. Now I need a good night’s sleep to sweat out the last bit [of fever]. The car is working very well and we have had a good pace and a good performance today so I am happy. I know there is more to come from me.”
Mikko Hirvonen completed the opening loop of three stages today in fourth overall but an upturn in pace in the afternoon has enabled the factory Ford Focus driver to leap to second, 9.4s behind Solberg, courtesy of two stage wins.
“It’s worked really for us today,” said Finn Hirvonen. “I didn’t want to go too fast too early so I’ve been building up my speed slowly and it’s starting to be pretty good. We have to see what we can do tomorrow. I didn’t change anything at midday service, I just went for it because the others were doing that too.”
Sebastien Ogier is third on his first Rally Japan. He is also the leading works Citroen driver after team-mate and title leader Sebastien Loeb lost significant ground cleaning the road of the loose surface gravel on Friday morning.
Ogier, who held the overnight lead after going quickest on both of Thursday evening’s superspecial stages, said: “To be racing to be in the lead is very good for my first visit to Japan. The road has been very bad this afternoon so it has not been easy. For this reason I am very happy. The car has been perfect but we made some changes to the set-up to adapt it for the rougher stages in the afternoon.”
Loeb, meanwhile, suffered a broken front damper to add to the delay he suffered running first on the road. His road position remained a hindrance for the afternoon tests due to the ruts that had formed following the first pass of the three gravel stages.
Jari-Matti Latvala, who is fourth in the second works Focus, reported making two small mistakes on stage seven. “I just got confused with my notes on a few occasions and ended up braking too early,” he said after completing day one 15.4s off the overall lead.
Dani Sordo completes the top five in his Citroen Junior Team C4 but was left to bemoan a gearbox glitch that struck during the afternoon.
Henning Solberg is seventh with Stobart M-Sport team-mate Matthew Wilson completing the top eight. Federico Villagra is ninth in his Focus, 16.6s clear of ex-Formula One world champion Kimi Räikkönen, who spent the day adapting to the challenging gravel roads around host city Sapporo.
Source: WRC
While that might not represent a huge advantage, Solberg has battled a fever throughout the day, which he admits has masked some of his pace.
“It has not been easy at all today,” said Solberg. “I am feeling a lot better than I was but it’s very strange when you don’t feel okay and don’t have the energy you need. Now I need a good night’s sleep to sweat out the last bit [of fever]. The car is working very well and we have had a good pace and a good performance today so I am happy. I know there is more to come from me.”
Mikko Hirvonen completed the opening loop of three stages today in fourth overall but an upturn in pace in the afternoon has enabled the factory Ford Focus driver to leap to second, 9.4s behind Solberg, courtesy of two stage wins.
“It’s worked really for us today,” said Finn Hirvonen. “I didn’t want to go too fast too early so I’ve been building up my speed slowly and it’s starting to be pretty good. We have to see what we can do tomorrow. I didn’t change anything at midday service, I just went for it because the others were doing that too.”
Sebastien Ogier is third on his first Rally Japan. He is also the leading works Citroen driver after team-mate and title leader Sebastien Loeb lost significant ground cleaning the road of the loose surface gravel on Friday morning.
Ogier, who held the overnight lead after going quickest on both of Thursday evening’s superspecial stages, said: “To be racing to be in the lead is very good for my first visit to Japan. The road has been very bad this afternoon so it has not been easy. For this reason I am very happy. The car has been perfect but we made some changes to the set-up to adapt it for the rougher stages in the afternoon.”
Loeb, meanwhile, suffered a broken front damper to add to the delay he suffered running first on the road. His road position remained a hindrance for the afternoon tests due to the ruts that had formed following the first pass of the three gravel stages.
Jari-Matti Latvala, who is fourth in the second works Focus, reported making two small mistakes on stage seven. “I just got confused with my notes on a few occasions and ended up braking too early,” he said after completing day one 15.4s off the overall lead.
Dani Sordo completes the top five in his Citroen Junior Team C4 but was left to bemoan a gearbox glitch that struck during the afternoon.
Henning Solberg is seventh with Stobart M-Sport team-mate Matthew Wilson completing the top eight. Federico Villagra is ninth in his Focus, 16.6s clear of ex-Formula One world champion Kimi Räikkönen, who spent the day adapting to the challenging gravel roads around host city Sapporo.
Source: WRC
RED BULL ON STAGE - JAPAN, KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN AND DAY 1.
Nothing is ever what it seems to be in Japan, especially the toilet
On the one hand, it looks like a toilet: it has a seat and a porcelain bowl. On the other hand, it has a set of controls next to it that look like they were stolen from an Apollo rocket.
The buttons on Kimi Raikkonen's steering wheel in his rally car control state-of-the art functions such as launch control and differential maps. The buttons on his toilet, back in the team hotel in Sapporo, are more to do with basic bodily functions.
The most advanced Japanese toilets allow the user to warm the toilet seat to a pre-determined heat, as well as choosing a temperature for the integrated shower bidet that cleans intimate areas. Afterwards, a fan gently dries the freshly washed regions while the user can even select some favourite music as an accompaniment to this activity.
The stages of Rally Japan are a lot less restful. Japan is well known for being one of the toughest events on the rally calendar, and this year is proving to be no exception for the 2007 Formula One World Champion. From the beginning Kimi took an understandably cautious approach to only his ninth World Championship event in the Citroen Junior Team C4 WRC, to be sure of making the finish on Sunday.
There was a bit of everything on the opening day's stages: narrow and twisty sections of road that were only one car-width wide, as well as faster and more open territory. Kimi ends the day in a points-scoring 10th place, having steered clear of mistakes and with a C4 WRC in immaculate condition.
"It's not been the easiest day I've spent in a rally car, but I was expecting this one to be tough right from the start," said the Red Bull driver. "There are a lot of good things too though: for a start we've had no mistakes and we've also had a good feeling with the pace notes all day, especially in the afternoon when we definitely felt more comfortable. The problem for me as usual is finding out how much grip there is and getting the right confidence with the car, but I think that this is normal for someone with my level of experience. Every rally and every stage is a different challenge: you just have to keep cool about it and keep learning, which is what I am doing. Tomorrow is another day and we're just going to carry on our work, with the aim of being at the finish. That's the most important thing."
It was the same message from co-driver Kaj Lindstrom, another man enjoying his trip to Japan but still learning the full functionality of the local toilets. "Everything's been under control all day, which is how we like it," Kaj said. "We had a set-up that was a bit too soft in the morning and that didn't help our confidence, but after we made some changes it was a lot better. We're looking forward to a good day tomorrow."
Another eight tough stages are waiting for the Red Bull crew of Kimi and Kaj in the morning, but the good news is that they have a reasonably civilised start, as the first service is not until 0900 and the first stage does not start until 1028. So there's plenty of time for some octopus for breakfast: another speciality of Japan.
Source: RedBullRallye
On the one hand, it looks like a toilet: it has a seat and a porcelain bowl. On the other hand, it has a set of controls next to it that look like they were stolen from an Apollo rocket.The buttons on Kimi Raikkonen's steering wheel in his rally car control state-of-the art functions such as launch control and differential maps. The buttons on his toilet, back in the team hotel in Sapporo, are more to do with basic bodily functions.
The most advanced Japanese toilets allow the user to warm the toilet seat to a pre-determined heat, as well as choosing a temperature for the integrated shower bidet that cleans intimate areas. Afterwards, a fan gently dries the freshly washed regions while the user can even select some favourite music as an accompaniment to this activity.
The stages of Rally Japan are a lot less restful. Japan is well known for being one of the toughest events on the rally calendar, and this year is proving to be no exception for the 2007 Formula One World Champion. From the beginning Kimi took an understandably cautious approach to only his ninth World Championship event in the Citroen Junior Team C4 WRC, to be sure of making the finish on Sunday.
There was a bit of everything on the opening day's stages: narrow and twisty sections of road that were only one car-width wide, as well as faster and more open territory. Kimi ends the day in a points-scoring 10th place, having steered clear of mistakes and with a C4 WRC in immaculate condition.
"It's not been the easiest day I've spent in a rally car, but I was expecting this one to be tough right from the start," said the Red Bull driver. "There are a lot of good things too though: for a start we've had no mistakes and we've also had a good feeling with the pace notes all day, especially in the afternoon when we definitely felt more comfortable. The problem for me as usual is finding out how much grip there is and getting the right confidence with the car, but I think that this is normal for someone with my level of experience. Every rally and every stage is a different challenge: you just have to keep cool about it and keep learning, which is what I am doing. Tomorrow is another day and we're just going to carry on our work, with the aim of being at the finish. That's the most important thing."
It was the same message from co-driver Kaj Lindstrom, another man enjoying his trip to Japan but still learning the full functionality of the local toilets. "Everything's been under control all day, which is how we like it," Kaj said. "We had a set-up that was a bit too soft in the morning and that didn't help our confidence, but after we made some changes it was a lot better. We're looking forward to a good day tomorrow."
Another eight tough stages are waiting for the Red Bull crew of Kimi and Kaj in the morning, but the good news is that they have a reasonably civilised start, as the first service is not until 0900 and the first stage does not start until 1028. So there's plenty of time for some octopus for breakfast: another speciality of Japan.
Source: RedBullRallye
Kamis, 09 September 2010
Kimi Räikkönen in Press Conference at Rally Japan 2010
Sebastien Loeb, Jari-Matti Latvala and Kimi Räikkönen at Press Conference
Q:Kimi, a bit of a drama at shakedown for you, can you tell us what happened?
KR:It was just inside the corner – the front-right, it took off the front-right corner. I’m not too bothered about it. They will fix the car and we can go this evening.
Q:A little bit steadier, maybe?
KR:No, not really. I touched the edge of the concrete and broke the suspension, like I said I’m not worried.
Q:Let's briefly look back to Rallye Deutschland, where you picked up your first WRC stage win on the final super special stage. A good end to the event for you?
KR:I don’t think so many drivers were pushing so hard, but it’s a nice feeling. It’s different to do this in one kilometre rather than doing it on a 20-kilometre stage through the forest. We still have a lot to learn about rally and hopefully we will learn more here in Japan.
Q:This event is notoriously tough and it is another step into the unknown for you, what will be your approach?
KR:Some of the stages are nice, but some are muddy and there are some ruts. It’s going to be difficult to learn how fast we can drive on those. I drove on gravel in Finland, so that won’t be so difficult, but we have to learn some more.
Q:The fans here are very enthusiastic about rallying, is it similar to your experiences in Formula 1? And what do you think of this area?
KR:The area, I don’t know so much – I only see the hotel and this area. But it’s normal, it’s Japan. This is more lively than where I have been in Formula 1, so it’s a normal thing here. It’s similar with the fans, they’re as crazy as ever. And the stages, some of them look pretty difficult, I’ll try to learn and do my best.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Eric Briquet (Auto Hebdo, France)
Q:Are you happy with the new rules for next year and the 3-2-1 points for the live stage?
KR:I have nothing to say, they [Loeb and Latvala] have more experience.
Source: FIA - WRC
Q:Kimi, a bit of a drama at shakedown for you, can you tell us what happened?
KR:It was just inside the corner – the front-right, it took off the front-right corner. I’m not too bothered about it. They will fix the car and we can go this evening.
Q:A little bit steadier, maybe?
KR:No, not really. I touched the edge of the concrete and broke the suspension, like I said I’m not worried.
Q:Let's briefly look back to Rallye Deutschland, where you picked up your first WRC stage win on the final super special stage. A good end to the event for you?
KR:I don’t think so many drivers were pushing so hard, but it’s a nice feeling. It’s different to do this in one kilometre rather than doing it on a 20-kilometre stage through the forest. We still have a lot to learn about rally and hopefully we will learn more here in Japan.
Q:This event is notoriously tough and it is another step into the unknown for you, what will be your approach?
KR:Some of the stages are nice, but some are muddy and there are some ruts. It’s going to be difficult to learn how fast we can drive on those. I drove on gravel in Finland, so that won’t be so difficult, but we have to learn some more.
Q:The fans here are very enthusiastic about rallying, is it similar to your experiences in Formula 1? And what do you think of this area?
KR:The area, I don’t know so much – I only see the hotel and this area. But it’s normal, it’s Japan. This is more lively than where I have been in Formula 1, so it’s a normal thing here. It’s similar with the fans, they’re as crazy as ever. And the stages, some of them look pretty difficult, I’ll try to learn and do my best.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Eric Briquet (Auto Hebdo, France)
Q:Are you happy with the new rules for next year and the 3-2-1 points for the live stage?
KR:I have nothing to say, they [Loeb and Latvala] have more experience.
Source: FIA - WRC
Selasa, 07 September 2010
Raikkonen: Japan the toughest yet
Kimi Raikkonen believes that Rally Japan will be one of the toughest challenges that he faces in his debut season in the World Rally Championship.
The Sapporo-based event, which gets underway on Thursday evening (September 9) features narrow roads, blind corners and inconsistent grip, with the latter being one of the areas where Raikkonen says he has struggled most this year.
“When the grip is changing all the time, it’s not been so easy for me,” said the 30-year-old. “You need experience to deal with those situations in rally, and I don’t have that yet. I think Japan is going to be very tricky from what I hear. For us, it is just a question of getting to the finish. What we need is just more kilometres in the car and more experience of the conditions.”
Raikkonen has not tested his Citroen C4 WRC since finishing seventh on the Tarmac-based Rallye Deutschland last month, so has pledged a cautious approach to Rally Japan.
“We’re going to use the first few stages just to see where we are, and then we can set a target,” added the Finn. “There’s no pressure: we’re just learning. Gravel rallies are always more tricky for me and this one is going to be especially tough I think.”
The 2007 Formula One world champion has yet to sign a deal for 2011, although he has previously stated that he would like to remain in the WRC next year.
Source: MaxRally
The Sapporo-based event, which gets underway on Thursday evening (September 9) features narrow roads, blind corners and inconsistent grip, with the latter being one of the areas where Raikkonen says he has struggled most this year.
“When the grip is changing all the time, it’s not been so easy for me,” said the 30-year-old. “You need experience to deal with those situations in rally, and I don’t have that yet. I think Japan is going to be very tricky from what I hear. For us, it is just a question of getting to the finish. What we need is just more kilometres in the car and more experience of the conditions.”
Raikkonen has not tested his Citroen C4 WRC since finishing seventh on the Tarmac-based Rallye Deutschland last month, so has pledged a cautious approach to Rally Japan.
“We’re going to use the first few stages just to see where we are, and then we can set a target,” added the Finn. “There’s no pressure: we’re just learning. Gravel rallies are always more tricky for me and this one is going to be especially tough I think.”
The 2007 Formula One world champion has yet to sign a deal for 2011, although he has previously stated that he would like to remain in the WRC next year.
Source: MaxRally
Senin, 06 September 2010
KIMI RETURNS TO THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN
The place: Japan. The year: 2005. The Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, nearly 1000 kilometres south of Rally Japan's base in Sapporo, was once the scene of one of Kimi Raikkonen's most breath-taking Formula One victories
After a wet qualifying session, Kimi started the race from 17th on the grid. He then worked his spectacular way through the field to overtake the leader on the final lap. It was just like Days of Thunder.
Kimi is going to need another Hollywood-style performance this weekend in Japan now that he has switched to rallying, but he is realistic enough to know that there will be no fairytale victory this time. In fact, just getting to the end of the notoriously tough and specialised stages of Rally Japan will be a triumph in itself.
The challenge is enormous: there will be mud and slippery braking areas, over roads so fast and narrow that no mistake goes unpunished. For an absolute beginner - and this will only be Kimi's ninth WRC event in the Red Bull Citroen C4 WRC - Japan is one of the hardest rallies to master. The weather rarely helps: after all, the island of Hokkaido is a skiing area that is on the same latitude as Siberia. Sunglasses probably won't be necessary this weekend.
"It's certainly going to be very different to the Japanese Grand Prix, which is my only other experience of Japan!" said Kimi. "We've got to be really careful here: it sounds so easy to make a mistake, and also the grip level is meant to be quite inconsistent - which is not an easy thing to get used to, particularly when you come from a circuit racing background. When we won the Japanese Grand Prix in 2005 it was certainly tough, but there's no doubt that this is going to be even tougher. Apart from that I don't really know what to expect, so our priority is to get to the end. When you have rallies that are as specialised as this one, it becomes even more important to have experience of the roads."
Precision is the name of the game in Japan, and one person who can certainly help Kimi with this is the man sat alongside him: co-driver Kaj Lindstrom. Kaj has competed on Rally Japan just once before, but he is aiming to make sure that none of his slickly delivered pace notes get lost in translation on the stages around Sapporo.
"I think this is going to be one of the most difficult rallies that we face all year," said Kaj. "It's also a great opportunity for us though to build on the work that we've done with the pace notes, which have to be absolutely exact in Japan. Getting the notes right is always one of the hardest things for any racing driver to get used to and Kimi has been doing really well. On the last rally we set our first fastest stage time together, so it's a good sign that things are moving in the right direction."
The action for Kimi on Rally Japan already gets underway tomorrow night (Tuesday) when he will race an electric go-kart capable of 130kph at a Red Bull event in the Sapporo Dome, which hosted the football World Cup back in 2002. Now the famous Dome is home to Sapporo's football team, as well as the unusually named Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters baseball squad...
Source: RedBullRallye
After a wet qualifying session, Kimi started the race from 17th on the grid. He then worked his spectacular way through the field to overtake the leader on the final lap. It was just like Days of Thunder.Kimi is going to need another Hollywood-style performance this weekend in Japan now that he has switched to rallying, but he is realistic enough to know that there will be no fairytale victory this time. In fact, just getting to the end of the notoriously tough and specialised stages of Rally Japan will be a triumph in itself.
The challenge is enormous: there will be mud and slippery braking areas, over roads so fast and narrow that no mistake goes unpunished. For an absolute beginner - and this will only be Kimi's ninth WRC event in the Red Bull Citroen C4 WRC - Japan is one of the hardest rallies to master. The weather rarely helps: after all, the island of Hokkaido is a skiing area that is on the same latitude as Siberia. Sunglasses probably won't be necessary this weekend.
"It's certainly going to be very different to the Japanese Grand Prix, which is my only other experience of Japan!" said Kimi. "We've got to be really careful here: it sounds so easy to make a mistake, and also the grip level is meant to be quite inconsistent - which is not an easy thing to get used to, particularly when you come from a circuit racing background. When we won the Japanese Grand Prix in 2005 it was certainly tough, but there's no doubt that this is going to be even tougher. Apart from that I don't really know what to expect, so our priority is to get to the end. When you have rallies that are as specialised as this one, it becomes even more important to have experience of the roads."
Precision is the name of the game in Japan, and one person who can certainly help Kimi with this is the man sat alongside him: co-driver Kaj Lindstrom. Kaj has competed on Rally Japan just once before, but he is aiming to make sure that none of his slickly delivered pace notes get lost in translation on the stages around Sapporo.
"I think this is going to be one of the most difficult rallies that we face all year," said Kaj. "It's also a great opportunity for us though to build on the work that we've done with the pace notes, which have to be absolutely exact in Japan. Getting the notes right is always one of the hardest things for any racing driver to get used to and Kimi has been doing really well. On the last rally we set our first fastest stage time together, so it's a good sign that things are moving in the right direction."
The action for Kimi on Rally Japan already gets underway tomorrow night (Tuesday) when he will race an electric go-kart capable of 130kph at a Red Bull event in the Sapporo Dome, which hosted the football World Cup back in 2002. Now the famous Dome is home to Sapporo's football team, as well as the unusually named Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters baseball squad...
Source: RedBullRallye
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