Sami Hyypiä as co-driver of Kimi Räikkönen at Rally Finland?

Liverpool FC's former top player Sami Hyypiä is having a different summer, because after long time he has time to enjoy the Finnish summer. Hyypiä will visit at Rally Finland and he might get as co-driver of Kimi Räikkönen.

- I will have a busy week in front. Champions League first on Wednesday in Helsinki, and then to Jyväskylä to see, how Finns are beating others at rally, Hyypiä told to CANAL+.

"I'm too scared to get behind the wheel - but maybe I'll be co-driver"

Big surprise is Hyypiä might get into the rally car, but not as a driver. Hyypiä has connections to Kimi Räikkönen. Hyypiä was in Holland with Räikkönen on April, looking ICE1RACING team racing, which Räikkönen owns. Is it about Räikkönen giving a ride for Hyypiä?

- I'm too scared to get behind the wheel - but maybe I'll be as co-driver, Hyypiä told.

Source: RacingNewsFlash

Co-driver promises: Kimi can do much better

Kaj Lindström, who reads notes for Kimi Räikkönen in WRC, is convinced of the former F1 driver's talent in the rally car

-We've made progress in every race which is the most important thing for us this year, Lindströn said in a press release of the Citroen junior team.

The next WRC race is driven on Germany's tarmac roads next weekend.

-Our performance in the first asphalt rally in Bulgaria was the most impressive one this season. I know that there's a lot more to come from Kimi, Lindström continued.

Räikkönen himself goes to Germany with a cautious mind and is aiming for a good position.

-This is a new competition for me again. In my first asphalt rally with the Citroen C4 WRC car I immediately found a good feeling. The most important thing for me is to get used to driving a WRC car on this surface. Based on my previous experience I can say that driving on tarmac feels a bit more natural for me but driving a rally car is still a copletely different thing than driving on track, Räikkönen reminds.

Source: MTV3
Courtesy: Dracaena

Co-driver praised Räikkönen's skills

For Kimi Räikkönen fifth place in Turkey WRC-rally was a fantastic result. Räikkönen was behind Citroen's French-star Sebastien Loeb, who was the winner of the rally, by approximately 7 minutes. Co-driver Kaj Lindström praised Räikkönen's performance.

- A great performance from Kimi. Of course there can always be improvement but this result gives energy for Kimi for the coming challenges, Lindström said.

According to Lindström one could see in Turkey how close Kimi drives to the top drivers when everyone are forced to drive in roads they don't know beforehand. In most of the WRC-rallies Räikkönen has to learn stages while the more experienced drivers know the routes better.

- Turkey was a new race for everyone. Now we know where we are going. In the future we aim to narrow off the difference to the top. Bulgary might be the next good place for comparison because there the roads are new for everyone, Lindström pondered.

Lindström reminded that through experience rally-driver's driving rhythm improves. At the same time the driver learns to pay more accurately attention to the notes from the co-driver and the pace accelerates even more.

- Polishing the notes to the stage that you trust them 110 procent comes through experience.

According to Lindström, Kimi is dedicated to rally with certainty only for this year.

- I won't by any means decline cooperation if Kimi wants to continue in rally after this season too. But it is too early to think about that, we have not talked about this issue even with each other yet, Lindström said.

Source: YLE.Fi
Courtesy: Leijona

Räikkönen will savour Turkey stages, says co-driver

Kimi Raikkonen’s co-driver, Kaj Lindstrom, believes the high-speed and wide nature of the Rally of Turkey stages will suit the ex-Formula One world champion.

Raikkonen is seeking his second-consecutive points finish on the Istanbul event after landing his maiden top 10 finish on the Jordan Rally earlier this month in his Citroen Junior Team Citroen C4 World Rally Car.

Lindstrom, who is contesting his eighth rally alongside fellow Finn Raikkonen, said: "I don't really know what we can expect, but the information I have suggests that the stages are quite fast and wide, and I think this should suit Kimi well. The only concern that we have is the risk of rain: it's the same for everyone, but if it does rain then the surfaces are sure to become extremely slippery, which will not be so nice."

Raikkonen, who will partner rising star Sebastien Ogier in the Citroen Junior Team, conceded he was facing another big challenge on the gravel event, round four of the World Rally Championship. “I suppose it's good that I like challenges, because this is going to be another big one for me," he said.

"I actually thought that Jordan was the most difficult rally we have seen so far, but I don't really have any idea what this one is going to be like. In Jordan we were able to find a safe pace, which might not have been the most exciting thing in the world, but at least it meant that we finished the rally and were able to score points. In Turkey, we're just going to have to see what sort of feeling we have with the stages and decide what is possible then. The priority is to finish, particularly because it's a completely new event and you have to get to know the stages. But of course I'm a competitive person so I always want to do the best that I can," he added.

Raikkonen has received advice from his countryman Anton Alen, the son of former WRC legend Markku, ahead of Rally of Turkey. Alen came close to winning the FIAT Rally, which used a similar route to Turkey’s new WRC qualifier, back in 2007.

Source: WRC

Kimi's co-driver: The man has done his home work

Kaj Lindström, co-driver of Kimi Räikkönen who finished in the points in Jordan Rally, thinks that the Citroen duo took giant leaps ahead during the weekend.

Lindströn told MTV3 that by getting to the finish line Räikkönen gained his most important experiences as a rally driver so far.

- The first goal has been achieved: a clean run to the finish line. Really important kilometres in terms of experience. The conditions were totally different than in any of the tests, said Lindström.

- During the race we fixed 6-7 turns in the notes so the man has done his home work pretty well. We're also starting to find a good set-up for the car.

The WRC series continues after two weeks in Turkey's Istanbul.

-We don't yet know what the roads are like there because it's a new rally. The grip should be a bit better there and it should suit Kimi better, said Lindström.

Source: MTV3
Courtesy: Dracaena