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
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