Citroen's Junior Team will continue in WRC next year also so it wouldn't be any big wonder if Kimi Räikkönen would stay with the gang.Team manager Benoit Nogier praises that Räikkönen went to rally with an honourable attitude.
– Kimi is aware of his level and completely understands that he has to improve. He has to learn to know everything and it succeeds only through experience. All Kimi lacks is experience. He can be very fast but when he doesn't have experience he easily takes risks without even realising it since one wouldn't think they would be risks. Only experience helps, not anyone's advice.
What kind of a rally driver is Räikkönen at the moment?
– In the beginning Kimi let the car slide on gravel. The topdrivers take the corners more straightly and save time. Maybe Kimi is driving in the old Finnish style but that style isn't good anymore. You lose a lot of grip and time when the car is rolling like that.
Kimi is one second behind the topdrivers.
– All topdrivers are extremely fast. One mustn't forget that. Kimi has greatly improved his performance during the season. Like I said, it's first and most about experience.
– In Portugal's rally Kimi was 1-1,7 seconds behind the lead. In Turkey he felt more at home and there the difference was under one second, Nogier clears.
Can Räikkönen already setup a rally car?
– Yes he can but you never know if it's going in the right direction, Nogier estimates.
What feature does the team manager appericate in his Finnish driver?
– Temperament and straightforwardness.
At the eve of Bulgaria's rally Nogier assures that he is interested to see what Räikkönen is capable of in his first WRC-rally on tarmac.
– I'm eager to see Kimi's pace especially after seeing how well he drove in Lanterna's rally in Italy.
Kaj Lindström was grateful that the race gave a lot of selfconfidence to Räikkönen who according to him felt in Italy for the first time that he is a real rally driver.
– I have been waiting to get to tarmac ever since the beginning of the season. I got a good feeling in the car right from the first tests. The feeling only got better in Lanterna's rally. I really enjoyed that rally even though I lost the victory in the end. The whole team has been helping me a lot and the hard work in the beginning of the season has started to pay back, Räikkönen thinks.
– My goal is to finish the rally and start finally to completely understand my car.
What kind of results does the team manager expect from Räikkönen in the end of the season?
– It's very difficult to say. Apart from Finland's rally all places have been new to Kimi. For example Japan's and Britain's rallies are very tricky for a driver who hasn't drove there before.
Nogier feels certain pride over having a F1 World Champion driving in his team.
– It's a great honour for us when a topdriver who has been driving for Ferrari and McLaren made a choice like this. No other F1-driver before Kimi has ever came this seriously into rally.
HEIKKI KULTA
Source: Turun Sanomat
Courtesy: Nicole
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