Kimi's Column: TOUGHEST RALLY, NO BLUNDERS

Kimi Rally de Portugal review in Finnish

Just like we remembered to begin with, Portugal is a difficult rally. When the stages are difficult the challenges are spectacular. Yet we could drive for three days without blunders. It left us with good feelings and we got yet again more points.

Now we have two rallies from this season under our belt and we have kept the car on the road. In Portugal the consistency, somekind of evenness, was found. In that sense it's good to look ahead. When you can drive a rally like this cleanly, then you can little by little start to lift the pace too.

To begin with our setups were completely *** No swearing ***-up. The team made a small mistake and the car was pretty much in wrong setups. We discovered it on Friday and on Saturday we got immediately more trust in the driving when the car started working the way it should have worked after the tests.

From there on I got a good feeling to drive whereas on Friday we were completley in the blue thinking what was wrong with it. Oh well, it was the car.

On Friday the air disappeared hastily from the tyre. So we drove that stage with an empty ragged wheel to the finish line and lost time there. The rally as a whole was okay and the result was okay. I should have drove completely super in order to battle for a better position.

At least we learned more about the car again. The routine comes from feeling the car. Sometimes I'm completely satisfied with my driving, sometimes not. I have noticed one thing though, the more I drive rally, the less situations.

That's how it should be too, so that we can try and drive faster.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM
Courtesy: Nicole

Kimi's Column: Closer to the front runners

Kimi's Swedish Rally review 2011

It was great fun to get back racing, again and it was nice to get grips with the new car.

The weekend was quite OK. We didn¹t have any major problems, actually it was pretty much an easy-going rally for us in very tricky circumstances.

We seem to get closer to the front runners. Still they go very quick, but comparing the stage times we are not that much behind anymore. Obviously, it¹s still a learning curve for me and we have still a lot of things to do.

We finished the rally and the result is ok. We got some good points for me and Kaj and we got some good points to our ICE1 RACING team, too. The team did good job. We are still learning from the car, but it¹s nice to drive. That's the main thing for now.

Before the first rally we had only one day for testing. While the car felt good, still the race is the race and when the you got very challenging and changeable weather, you have use some time to train in the first place.

I can tell you, it was quite difficult. We spun and then we had a puncture, which cost us some time. But after that everything went well. I felt relaxed, the driving itself felt easy and we got some good stage times without pushing too much.

It's nice feeling while you don't have to wipe off the sweat from your forehead and sigh huh-huh, we managed to get the special stage through. I'm quite satisfied how we went the whole rally. It felt very normal driving all the time.

Obviously, there is much to learn. Still I have to focus more on the pace notes. There were not that many places we had it wrong, but there were some, we had to change before going there for the second time. If you get it wrong, it's always a very tricky task to keep the car on the road. It's challenging to work with pace notes. That¹s for sure.

Every time, after the rally, you feel you could have gone faster. But most importantly, I have learned more and improved from last year. Let's wait and see, how we go in the next few rallies.

Sweden was a good start for the season. The next rally for us is Portugal. Before that we have a test. Now it's time to start working to go well on gravel, too.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM

Kimi Swedish Rally review in Finnish

It felt cool to get to drive again after a long time and it was great to get a feeling to the new car. It was an okay weekend. We didn't face any bigger griefs at any moment.

It looks like we are closer to the top. It's good since it means we have gone forward again. We do however know that we still have a lot to do.

We got to test the new car only for a day. Okay, the car felt good but when you have a race with difficult conditions right from the beginning, the start was only training for us. It was quite tricky when we spun and got a puncture just like that when driving in the track.

After that it started to go well. The driving was easy and the times came easily especially during the second round in the afternoon when I found a good laidbackness.

Of course we are still in the stage of learning. I have to pay even more attention to the notes. There weren't many corners that went wrong but there was a place that needed to be changed. If a situation like that comes up then it has always been tough to keep the car on the road. I just have to look more carefully at the notes in the future.

In Sweden our spinnings limited to that one spot on Friday. After that I didn't have to wipe sweat after the stage thinking "whew that we managed to finish it". I'm fairly satisfied when we got to drive a completely normal drive to the finish.

After the race you are always left with a feeling that it could have gone better. But it's cool when you have already learned something and improved from the earlier times.

Let's just now see how the continuance goes.

The result is okay. I got points home and good points for our team. The gang did a good job and the car felt nice to drive all the time. It's quick and a bit smaller than last year's car. It kind of suits me better.

It's good to start the new season from here. Next rally will then be in Portugal and before that we will go testing to see how the car behaves with gravel setups.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM
Courtesy: Nicole

formula1.ferrari.com publishes Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 2010 Season Review Part III

formula1.ferrari.com publishes the 2010 season review, a "virtual book", which can be downloaded to relive the entire 2010 season, with the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro as a main protagonist in an exciting Championship, with an exceptional recovery and an unfortunately missed victory.

Six chapters around the 2010 World Championship with wins, difficult moments, the epilogue in Abu Dhabi and further sections dedicated to technical in-depth articles. 28 drawings by Giorgio Piola with virtual animations of the F10's various components, four specials about the most important issues of the season such as pit stop and new rules, also explained in a video by Marc Gené, the complicated logistical aspects and the celebration of the 800th Grand Prix for Ferrari. A detailed section with a list from 1950 until today concludes the review, with Formula 1 models Ferrari used in the pinnacle of motorsports since the beginning of the F1 Championship.

Over 120 extraordinary images and more than 25 parts with multimedia content on the different pages, enriching the texts in the sections turning reading into real pleasure. The protagonists statements are combined with comments from the fans, who followed and supported the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro during the whole season in the Communitys forum as well as on Facebook and via Twitter.

After the first and the second part, today is online the third, wich will complete the 2010 Championship review.

Source: Ferrari.com

formula1.ferrari.com publishes Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 2010 Season Review Part 2

formula1.ferrari.com publishes the 2010 season review, a "virtual book", which can be downloaded to relive the entire 2010 season, with the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro as a main protagonist in an exciting Championship, with an exceptional recovery and an unfortunately missed victory.

Six chapters around the 2010 World Championship with wins, difficult moments, the epilogue in Abu Dhabi and further sections dedicated to technical in-depth articles. 28 drawings by Giorgio Piola with virtual animations of the F10's various components, four specials about the most important issues of the season such as pit stop and new rules, also explained in a video by Marc Gené, the complicated logistical aspects and the celebration of the 800th Grand Prix for Ferrari. A detailed section with a list from 1950 until today concludes the review, with Formula 1 models Ferrari used in the pinnacle of motorsports since the beginning of the F1 Championship.

Over 120 extraordinary images and more than 25 parts with multimedia content on the different pages, enriching the texts in the sections turning reading into real pleasure. The protagonists statements are combined with comments from the fans, who followed and supported the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro during the whole season in the Communitys forum as well as on Facebook and via Twitter.

After last week's first chapter, as of today the second part is online, which will be followed by the third and last part, completing the 2010 Championship review.

Source: Ferrari.com

Kimi’s Column: Tricky season, but great fun

Review 2010

Well, the rally season 2010 is over. It was a tough year. Trying to learn the WRC car and eleven completely new rallies during the season was a huge challenge for a rookie like me. But it was a great fun, too.

I liked the new experience very much, indeed. It was as difficult as we could expect, but I have all but negative feelings going though it.

It was a season full of ups and downs. There were some good times, there were some bad times. But that’s how it usually goes in the world of motor sports. Obviously, there were some people expecting us to make miracles after a couple of first rallies. But, in the end of the day, there was no reason to wait for more from this rookie season of mine.

We finished the last rally in Wales. It feels good every time you finish a race. The Rally of Britain was a truly challenging one. We’ve got storm, rain, ice-slippery roads, no sight ahead from time to time. It was an adventure and to finish it with some points was a nice finish for this WRC season.

It was also the end of an era for these WRC cars. They are really great cars and it was a privilege to have a season with them, too.

Obviously, the season offered many different kind of rally roads. The tarmac doesn’t mean tarmac like it is in Formula One. It’s only semi-tarmac every time, while there is so much gravel and dirt on the road. Coming in as from circuit racing the only real asphalts were those short show stages in the cities.

The RedBull Citroen WRC team keeps winning the championships. They are true professionals in and out. You have to give the highest note for them every time for their effort.

Now it’s time for a break. I chill out with friends and my family like I usually do in this time of the year. I’ll keep training and keep having fun in motor racing. The Christmas time is coming and I plan to spend that peaceful period at home, like always.

For the next year we continue talking to people. When we have something signed and sealed, we tell you.

Thank you all fans for the support and wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. The race goes on 2011.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM
Courtesy:_TaniaS_

formula1.ferrari.com publishes Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 2010 Season Review

Maranello, 24 November - formula1.ferrari.com publishes the 2010 season review, a "virtual book", which can be downloaded to relive the entire 2010 season, with the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro as a main protagonist in an exciting Championship, with an exceptional recovery and an unfortunately missed victory.

Six chapters around the 2010 World Championship with wins, difficult moments, the epilogue in Abu Dhabi and further sections dedicated to technical in-depth articles. 28 drawings by Giorgio Piola with virtual animations of the F10's various components, four specials about the most important issues of the season such as pit stop and new rules, also explained in a video by Marc Gené, the complicated logistical aspects and the celebration of the 800th Grand Prix for Ferrari. A detailed section with a list from 1950 until today concludes the review, with Formula 1 models Ferrari used in the pinnacle of motorsports since the beginning of the F1 Championship.

Over 120 extraordinary images and more than 25 parts with multimedia content on the different pages, enriching the texts in the sections turning reading into real pleasure. The protagonists statements are combined with comments from the fans, who followed and supported the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro during the whole season in the Communitys forum as well as on Facebook and via Twitter. As of today the review's first part is online, followed by the other issues covered in upcoming sections, completing the 2010 Championship review.

Source: Ferrari.com

F1 - 2010 Red Bull Racing season review with Vettel, Webber and Horner

Source: NextegenAutoVideos

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

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

Kimi's Column: ONE DITCH TOO MUCH

Kimi Rally Finland review in Finnish

We finished the rally. We got the kilometers we had set for our target but didn't take the points. It bugs because there were a few small misses and we couldn't stay in the bunch of ten until up to Saturday morning.

I have to say that Jyskälä is a great rally. I can't but congratulate the Finnish rally fans.

This is a rally country and the whole gang was fully with us alongside the roads starting from six in the morning. It gives you a great feeling to drive with a support like that.

I have never got so much support anywhere else and I'm sure all the other Finnish drivers think exactly the same way.

The new format worked well. We drove for two days from morning to evening. I thought it was a successful trial. It felt completely different than it has felt in other races.

I have to say that it's cool to run a fast rally like this with a decent machine. These are great cars. We enjoyed every stage "100" when there's twisting and power to push, the chassis works and the brakes are top class.

It was difficult in the beginning. We didn't really get into the rhythm. We tried different settings before we got the setup to fall in place and set some good SS-times after that. There was a good twist too when we got to race against Kankkunen's Juha for the 7th position. The age isn't weighing him down, that's for sure. He went that fast.

Of course you are never completely satisfied with any stage but there was a few after which we could smile for a reason.

Then Kolonkulma on Saturday morning just went wrong. The car slided on the morning stage to a ditch in a corner turning to the right. We didn't go terribly fast but it was a deep ditch and the car got stuck. We tried to get it up by using the gas but only managed to break the front. Luckily there was enough gang so that we got help to get back on the road.

After that we had to do some tyre work because we only had one spare tyre. One tyre was completely wasted but the other one could be put back on the rim.

We jumped on it for a while and got to continue our journey.

Congratulations to the fan who is somewhere dragging the Citroen bumper as a souvenir.

It went well since we could continue. After the service we got all the pieces back. The rest went well. We got important kilometers of the rally pace both for the car and the dude.

It was great that we got a Finnish winner in Finland's WRC-rally. It means a lot to the rally people.

Now we will change from gravel back to tarmac. We will test in Germany next weekend and after that we are ready for the next challenge. Let's see how it hits in Germany.

Source: Kimiraikkonen.com
Courtesy: Nicole

Kimi Portugal Rally Review

One Point and lots of happening

It was exactly how we expected it would be: The Rally de Portugal was as tricky as the Rally of Jordan.We got the right information. I guess, these two are the most difficult rallies in the calender.

We finished the rally in Jordan and we managed to finish the in the rally in Portugal as well. Now we got some points from three sucessive races. It's ok result, but, obviously, it could have e little bit better in Portugal.

We had P8 in our hands, but we then had few problems, lost a lot of time and finally we were happy to finish the rally in sunday. Tha puncture on sunday morning was an annoying experience, but shit happens. It's a part of motor racing and it happens to all for us sometimes.

Right in the beginning we lost time, while we went out of the road and had push the car back using the reserve. Then on Sunday morning the feeling in the car was better and better, I cut a corner too fast and we had a big moment on two wheels, Well, we were lucky. I didn't roll over and it came back. After that it was a just question to bring car home.

It was like in every rally that the surface changes radically, while you do the stage for a second time. Obviously, it was very difficult route all the way long and the changes, they were even bigger compared to other places.

The gap to the top guys is huge, but there is nothing surprising in that. We have know since the very beginning of this season, that the front runners are very, very quick. You have to have a lot confidence in your car and a lot kilometres in rally to match with them.

Now there is a new winner in WRC rally. Ogier is a really strong rally driver and deserved his first victory after coming so close already in New Zealand. Obviously, I remember well how nice feeling I've got after winning my first Formula One Grand Prix in Malaysia back in 2003. It's always a special thing for a racing driver.

Now we head for the Lanterna Rally in Italy. We got an opportunity to have some training on tarmac before the next WRC rally in Bulgaria in july.

After that I will keenly watch the football world cup and some other sports, while we have some weeks to chill out.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM

Kimi's Turkish Rally review: Simply The Best Rally

There is no reason to jump in the air with joy, but, obviously, this is the best feeling I have had since starting my new career in WRC. We got a nice ten points from the Turkish weekend. The whole team was very happy with the job we managed to do.

Well, once again we proved that our simple target - finish, finish, finish – suits us fine. When we managed to finish the rally, we are also able to get a good result.

In some stages it was mainly the question to go very cautiously. Especially in the last stage it was very tricky to find the right speed. It was slippery like on ice. I pushed and Kaj did the braking on me. Once again it was working well and we kept the car on the road until the very finish. Fifth place in the Turkish Rally was more than we could have hoped before going for it.

It was a difficult rally, as I said. Even the big boys made mistakes. Mikko Hirvonen hit the stone, while he started to push harder and some top guys had even more costly errors.

Obviously, the TOP-5 are in a league of their own. But we were the best in the second division. I was the center forward of the second line-up, if you want to describe it with ice hockey terms.

It’s no use to make a big deal of it. I just enjoy this moment. The next rally will be totally different and a new challenge for us all.

The Turkish Rally is absolutely the best rally I’ve done during my short WRC career. No doubt about it.

It was a new place for every driver. Nobody knew the roads before and as a WRC rookie, I’ve got a certain advantage in comparison to the top guys, while none of them hadn’t done the roads 5-10 times before.

Now there is no need to think of, what is the gap to the top we have, while going to a place where nobody has raced before. That’s something we know better after the this weekend and that gives us more confidence going to other new places – like Bulgaria on July.

All the time I have better feeling also with the car. It’s getting better and better every time and it feels also easier to drive. This time we had some stages on tarmac, too. Well, it was still early days to try to get used to the grip levels and we used the gravel tyres and gravel set-up, too. So it’s useless to get too involved in details at this stage.

Now we have a break, because I’m not going to New Zealand. But it’s not a holiday time. I have some work to do. Hopefully we get the cars back to the factory as soon as possible. I’ll be starting to focus on my next rally in Portugal with some testing before.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM

Kimi Jordan Rally Review: The toughest race of my career

If I would be an icehockey star, I would say that finishing the Jordan rally in points felt like getting rid of a monkey away from my shoulder. O’boy, it gave a great feeling for me. For sure, it was the toughest race of my life. We managed to finish it and it was perfect to get the first points of the season at the same time.

My friend Teemu Selanne has sometimes told me, how special feeling it is to score a goal after some games without getting any. Now I know, how it must feel for him. To get everything right in the Jordan rally, gave us a big relief. While you try and try your very best and you finally succeed, obviously, you’ll be happy.

Me and Kaj Lindstrom, my co-driver, shared the same great feeling on Saturday after finishing the rally without any mistakes of our own. That was the first waypoint we had to achieve before setting any other targets.

It was very hot place, indeed. But it was quite surprising that it didn’t feel that bad inside the car. Actually, it felt even a little bit ‘cool’.

It was the toughest rally I ever done and we drove the longest special stage I ever had before – 41,5 km twice. That was so long, I started to think, if it’s an ever lasting oroad. But finishing it finally, gave the best of the feelings. In the end of the day, it was a great stage, no doubt of it!

It was a difficult rally, but we eventually achieved our objective. It was great job from all the team. I’m feeling more and more comfortable in the Citroen C4 WRC every day.

This is not a solitary sport. We have been working hard with Kaj Lindstrom and without him I would never have learned this rally racing as quickly as we did. Kaj is working flat out. I’m grateful for him and I hope we share the good moments like in Jordan as soon as possible again.

The whole team was happy. The team bosses were all smiles. Personally I felt good the get a better feeling with the car on the gravel.

Obviously, I’m looking forward for the next rally of Turkey. It’s exciting to see how we go in the next rally in Instanbul.

Now it’s time for a short break and rest. Then it’s back to business. After some work out in the gym we go next week to Turkey and start there again from zero.

Source: kimiraikkonen.com

Corona Rally Mexico - The Guru's review Kimi Räikkönen

Another miss for Raikkonen - but was his car at 100 per cent?

"Kimi Raikkonen?s third WRC rally didn?t go well. Hitting a rock seven kilometres into stage one and bending the steering arm wasn't a good start. Then, on stage two, he dropped more than thirty minutes when his fuel pump stopped working. Things looked up after a couple of clear stages, and he seemed to be getting into it, only for his rally to end in spectacular fashion when he rolled his C4 WRC five times.

Soon after the crash Kimi said his late braking was to blame. His car had run wide and hit a bank - sending him into the series of rolls. Maybe he did brake late, but on watching footage from the stage side camera I noticed that the rear spoiler was missing from the rear of the C4 BEFORE the crash. Would Kimi have got around the corner with the help of some rear downforce? Perhaps. But after Sebastien Ogier's spoiler parted company with his identical C4 WRC in Sweden I imagine Citroen engineers are working on some stronger bolts for Jordan."

Source: WRC

Kimi Mexican review in Finnish: SIESTA IN MEXICO

If I had to describe in short how Mexico went it would be enough if I said that I'm really gutted. Only the beginning was rally and the rest was then siesta.

Maybe the readers feel like we would go through the same thing over and over again but let's say it again. We knew before the season that this wasn't going to be easy. We learn from mistakes. And we have learned - I can guarantee that.

The first rally on gravel wasn't too hot for Kaitsu and me. We had a big roll in the mountain range. The best before that was that we already got some promising times just before that mistake.

I just lost traction when braking. There was some lump beside the dusty road and from that the car flipped around. It was quite a banging when we rolled six times through the roof in a whole body spin to the bottom of the hill.

Mostly I was gutted for not being able to continue on Saturday. The regulations say that you can't continue if there's even the slightest crack in the safety cage.

Now we lost two important driving days. Every rally more with this car wouldn't hurt me at least. At least in Mexico our car felt really good. My team mate even got to the podium with the car.

Never mind. The opening day was tricky enough without the ending. I hit a rock in the beginning and we had to give half an hour of leverage to others once again when there were some probs with the fuel supply and we couldn't find the problem anywhere at first.

But it's like this. It's part of rally's nature. We will go forward with humility. Learn all the time and there will come a race where we don't have to compose anything extra on the road.

The car is now being built for Jordan at the workshop. Now I have some resting in my schedule. After that we will drive one test and go to Jordan.

I'm going as an apprentice there too because these other guys have rallied there before. For me and Kaitsu everything is completely new.

But the passion to learn is just as 10 as it was before the first rally.

In Mexico we went quite nicely forward in notes too. It's coming.

Source: Kimiraikkonen.com
Courtesy: Nicole Planet-F1

IN ONE PIECE TO THE FINISH LINE

Kimi Swedish rally review in Finnish

The first 'äm-äm' with a WRC-car is now wrapped. The positive thing was that we got in one piece to the finish line.

I could have lived without making a few stupid mistakes. This is how it went, if the car goes off the track you hit immediately soft snow and you spin. There was snow everywhere. Because we couldn't see out at all we hit the snowbank - and got stuck in it.

It meant a shovel-job. You have to dig. It's normal and it's part of rallying. We know afterall that even those who now drive in the lead have also had to do some shoveling at some stage. I don't think Sibelius started with composing Finlandia right away.

All and all Sweden was an interesting weekend. Okay, maybe I didn't have any expectations but the pressure was hard when we took off. It was a bit difficult but it's good that it's now behind.

Every race is important at this stage. The more I get to drive this car the better I become. It already started to feel like it fit my hand better.

It relaxed after that. Because we drove the same stages twice it was already a bit easier to remember them.

Because we had problems in the beginning we decided that we don't even start to look for setups. We just took Loeb's setups and learned to drive with them. We concentrated on basic driving at this point and on staying on the road.

By doing that we got used to what the car does. Now it did this. When you know next time better what it does you can also ask more from the car.

Of course driving out is always frustrating. You just had to pick up yourself again and again. It's the same at the track too. Racing is never so easy that you just show up, jump in the car and start winning.

It was cool when a few stages went okay. The notes are decisive. When the note is completely right it's completely different to drive fast than if it's even a bit wrong. There was a few spots where my notes didn't hit at all.

I told already beforehand that starting the serie on Sweden's snow is probably the most difficult place of all places. I haven't drove this car flat out with other chassis but I guess that it won't be more difficult when we go on gravel.

If we are in rally next year I bet that we will go completely differently in Sweden. Now we concentrate on the next race - Mexico and gravel.

We will have time to drive one test with Kaitsu in France before we go there far away. After that it will be Viva la Mexico. It's going to be cool to see Kaitsu with a sombrero...

Source: kimiraikkonen.com
Courtesy: Nicole @OF

ONE EXPERIENCE RICHER

Kimi Arctic Lapland Rally review in Finnish

The Arctic rally came and went. I'm in a good mood and one experience richer.

We had a good test before we went to Rovaniemi. It gave me a good feeling and more trust in the car once we got all bits and pieces and seats in order. The basic setup was done and we went to Tunturi to get as many kilometers under our belts as we could possibly get. Nothing more.

It was good that Sordo was there. We got the benchmark we had hoped for so we would know exactly where we stand at the moment.

In the final games we saw how much behind Sordo we were but after we reeled in those things we also knew the reason for it. All we now need is more kilometers and we'll find it from there.

There was this one blunder when we drove out during the second stage. It was completely my own blunder. I misheard the note and after that it didn't bend back anymore.

Fortunately we made it with small damages and managed to get back. Thank you to the shovel-men for helping.

The roads were quite cool! It was also nice to see how big the gangs by the routes supporting us were.

When me-myself have only five rallies in the meter the times in Tunturi weren't a catastrophy. When I learn something new everytime I drive we get closer to the lead. We'll see how close we are during the midseason.

From this basis it's nice to go to Sweden. We'll see there what our pace is but the serie is only beginning. At least we will go faster than we did in the practice race.

Just as a tip, remember to check out the video clips beside. They are rolling the Iceman's adventures in Lapland and we are reeling in how things went in Tunturi.

Next stop is the FIA-info in Paris, press and photos. After that we will only concentrate on Sweden rally.

There it will be just like in Indy - Gentlemen, start your engines!

Source: kimiraikkonen.com
Courtesy: Nicole Planet-F1