Friday, January 27, 2012

Kimi Räikkönen: Wild and free

Kimi Räikkönen won't ask for permission to drink alcohol

1. Kimi, what's on your mind?

- Nothing. Ask something for God's sake since you have come all the way here.

2. What do you expect from the next tests?

- Difficult to say. We'll see then what the new car is like. I don't think that it's terribly different. I don't know about the tyres. They say that they have changed a bit.

3. What kind of season would you yourself be satisfied with?

- I haven't really thought anything concrete. I see in the tests what the car is like and how good it is. That decides. How it feels, that's a thing you notice right from the first test. At least I have noticed it immediately earlier.

4. You are used to really big teams during your F1-career. Does it show in the operation of Lotus that it's slightly smaller than McLaren and Ferrari?

- No, it's just the same. We have all the same equipment here and hence we also have a chance to make a good car. The same gang who earlier won championships is still here. And physically the team is located in the same place. Maybe it's smaller in the sense that Lotus doesn't have a car factory behind them like Mercedes or Ferrari had.

5. During the last months a few motorbikers have passed away due to an accident. Does a professional driver think more about the sport's dangers and risks when hearing these kinds of news?

- Those are never nice news no matter if you know them or not or if they even are from your own genre's circle. Those just happen. Sadly it's part of many other sports too. Of course anything can happen and happens. Sad things but part of life.

6. You have already won your WDC in Ferrari. From where do you get motivation to continue?

- I have never had any problems with motivation, although everybody always colors things. I have always liked to race. Back in the time there were quite many factors why I started to rally. Now I got a reasonably good chance to drive in F1. I get to race against others again. I guess that's the biggest reason.

7. You have always been an excellent track-racer, but your attitude towards the media has been a bit questionable. On the scale from 1 to 10, how much do you hate these kinds of media-days?

- I don't hate them but they always ask the same questions. They won't change to anything else. If I could decide I wouldn't come here. It's definitely not the first thing that comes to my mind when waking up or something that I would be excited over. But I think it's the same for everyone else too. They probably would rather drive than do other things. If someone claims that they like these things, then I guess he is lying. Of course driving is always the number one thing. I don't have anything against these. Maybe they have made the matter a bit too big.

8. Has Jenni already healed from her riding accident?

- She is better now. She is still in pain but that's normal. It wasn't any serious matter.

9. You have probably without any cause been in the publicity because of alcohol. What is your relation to alcohol now?

- It's just the same as it was before. If I want to go out and have fun, I go. I don't have any problem with it. Nobody forbids me and I don't have to ask anyone for permission.

10. Do you think that you have changed during the years?

- I'm sure every person changes, but I don't think anything bigger has happened in me.

11. In public there is also the understanding that this Lotus-deal would only be a step to Red Bull in either 2013 or 2014. Is it correct?

- I don't have any plans. Lets see how this goes. In F1 everything can change reasonably fast. I hope that we can have fun with the team. At least I have had fun so far.

12. Do you have a two-year deal?

- Yeah, in principle.

Courtesy: Nicole

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