Räikkönen was found and was immediately surrounded by fans

The long wait was awarded when Kimi Räikkönen, who was lost 'somewhere in China' finally managed to get to the Shanghai F1-paddock.

Räikkönen was meant to participate in his Lotus-team's press conference but something else happened. Apparently Räikkönen wasn't able to get to the place in time because of being stuck in traffic and they already started to wonder on the paddock where on earth the Iceman is.

- We have lost Kimi somewhere in China, the team's representant told news agency SID earlier on Thursday.

In the end Räikkönen did however manage to get to the track-area and was immediately surrounded by his die-hard fans. Iceman's autograph was once again hot stuff among the Chinese fans.

Räikkönen managed in the end to wade through the fan-groups into Lotus premises. They published a photo today where Räikkönen is sitting beside Eric Boullier - and is yet again signing postcards.

- And at the same time in the backroom.... two new faces has joined the party, Lotus writes.

And right after that Räikkönen had to do PR-tasks and go to the press conference and on the stage together with Boullier.

Kalle Takala

Source: Ilta-Sanomat
Courtesy: Nicole

Kimi caused a horrible rush at the airport

Kimi Räikkönen arrived in Shanghai on Thursday

Finnish star did not have any peace in the Pudong Airport. Räikkönen was attacked by a huge number of locals, who wished to take a picture of F1 driver.

Obviously, by judging Räikkönen's facial expressions, he was not particularly happy for all the attention. Kimi walked determined to the escalator and tried to ignore to close sqeezing teenage girls. Finn's torment was immortalized by international photo agencies.

Tomorrow, Kimi can sit in the peace of F1 car. Third race of the season, the Chinese Grand Prix, is on Sunday.





Source: IltaLehti
Courtesy: reppo

Alonso's Blog: What enthusiasm from the Chinese fans!

Here we are in Shanghai for the start of the third race weekend of the year. For sure, arriving here in China as the leader of the Championship is something I would never have expected, at least given the way winter testing went. It means we have done a good job, managing to make use of all the potential at our disposal and making the most of every opportunity. Since I first arrived in Maranello, at the start of 2010, I have seen the team grow a lot in all areas relating to track activity, from strategy to the work in the garage and at the pit stops.

I know I can count on a very strong group, which is very important and there is a great sense of purpose shared by all. We know our car is not at the level we had wanted going into this season, but everyone is reacting very well, everyone is very united, which is what you get with a real team that wants to reach its objectives.

I’m not expecting any surprises in this race, compared to what we saw in Australia and Malaysia. It’s true almost three weeks have gone by, but that does not mean there was enough time to completely turn the car around in such a short time: we will have a few small updates, but nothing particularly significant and on top of that, we can expect that the other teams will also bring some new parts.

Therefore, we won’t change our approach to this Grand Prix: to get a good result, we will need to concentrate on ourselves, trying to be perfect and to exploit every possibility that might come our way over the weekend.

I don’t want to come out with statements that our aim is to finish in this or that position, as these discussions are not worth the time spent on them. We will have to do the maximum and bring home as many points as possible: a bit like ants who start something one day, knowing it will produce something worthwhile in the future.

I’m expecting tomorrow to be a rather busy day, with various promotional and media activities, both at the track and outside it. China is a very important country for Ferrari and for its technical and commercial partners and the Formula 1 Grand Prix represents a unique opportunity, not to be missed.

Finally, if I had to draw a conclusion from what I’ve seen in the last 24 hours, I would say there is a great enthusiasm from the local people, especially the young ones. As you have been able to see on @alo_oficial, yesterday afternoon there was a huge crowd of boys and girls waiting for me at the airport and even outside the hotel. It’s always nice to experience the enthusiasm of the fans, especially so in a country where Formula 1 is not part of its history. It means the spectacle and excitement that our sport provides is still very attractive.

Source: Ferrari.com

Seb: It's not pressure, it's motivation

Sebastian Vettel says he can handle the pressure of performing in front of his home fans as he bids to claim another win at this weekend's German GP

Vettel, who leads this year's Drivers Championship with 204 points ahead of nearest rival, and Red Bull team-mate, Mark Webber on 124, has never won a grand prix on home soil.

Two years ago, he was led home at the Nurburgring by Webber and last year, at Hockenheim, he was left among the supporting cast as Ferrari dominated and delivered a one-two triumph.

Speaking on the eve of opening practice for Sunday's race at the Nurburgring, the Red Bull driver said: "Many times people talk about pressure and things that can slow you down, but it is more positive than anything else.

"People everywhere support you and try to push you forward maybe to find this extra tenth or two.

"For me, it's great to have this opportunity to race in front of my home country and we have six drivers now - I am looking forward to it."

The 24-year-old defending World Champion also said he was not at all concerned by the team orders furore that followed the British Grand Prix two weeks ago.

Asked about the controversy at Silverstone, where he was challenged by Webber for second place, Vettel said he was not greatly concerned by the issue and added that each situation had to be looked at individually.

"It depends always on the situation in the race," said Vettel.

"Last race, there was nothing for us to gain as a team. Mark said he wanted to race, wanted to improve the position, but I didn't want to let him by and tried to defend.

"On one hand, you want to race for yourself and on the other hand you try your best as a team.. But that stage is quite far away though - I would rather start tomorrow with FP1!"

Vettel added that Red Bull remained confident about their form and prospects despite seeing two-time Champion Fernando Alonso of Spain win for Ferrari at Silverstone and 2009 champion Jenson Button win for McLaren in Canada.

"At this stage everything looks fine and we are as confident as we can be," he said.

"Last weekend unfortunately we were talking more about rules and rule changes rather than the race, but it should be clear right from the start this time.

"We focus on racing again - I am looking forward to it. I think we have seen the true performance throughout the season already. I think we have a good chance."


Source: Planet-F1

Massa's Blog: For the fans, it’s the race that counts

I’m back home in Monaco after the first race of the season where I failed to score any points and it’s fair to say, that given my previous track record in Istanbul, this was obviously a very disappointing result. I ended up eleventh, when I could have been challenging for fourth place and that was mainly down to poor pit stops. However, looking on the positive side, the aero updates we ran for the first time at this race definitely increased our performance level as can be seen from the fact that Fernando secured Ferrari’s first podium finish of the year.

Once again, qualifying was not that easy and then, as we have seen at every race this year, the car was much better in the race itself. I had an incident packed Sunday afternoon, but the first stint went very well for me and I was able to pass several cars, up to the point that I overtook Hamilton just before we pitted. This was where my race got complicated as my pit stop was not that great and we ended up side by side leaving pit lane, with him just having the edge in the end. After that, only the second of my total of four pit stops went well and Lewis went on to finish the race in fourth place, which shows what I could have been challenging for.

Even if we had a difficult qualifying and I did not even bother making a second attempt in Q3 to save tyres, the gap in terms of our qualifying to race performance did come down in Turkey, because we struggled less in qualifying and then made an even bigger step forward on Sunday, which is more proof that the car is improving. Why do we have that gap? It’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason, but let’s say it just seems to be a characteristic of the car, because even last year, we had a similar situation. I think qualifying is still important, but much less than before, like in the days when it was almost the most crucial part of the weekend, when overtaking another car during the race was so difficult. Even if qualifying is less important, there is nothing disappointing about that, because for the fans, it’s the race that counts as the most important part of the weekend, so the current situation is, in my opinion, good for the sport.

As for the pit stop difficulties, I would say I had a few too many, because without them I was definitely heading for a top five finish. This was frustrating for me and for the team. We do a lot of pit stop practice, but that Sunday it just did not work properly. We will have to study the problem and try and be more consistent, because in a single stop, just a small delay in changing wheels and you can lose position, as happened to me in Istanbul. The pressure on the pit crew is now very great, because not only are they having to be perfect several times during a race, but also since the banning of refuelling, they no longer have that time cushion changing wheels, while waiting for all the fuel to go in. We all have to improve ourselves, drivers included, because our role in the pit-stop operations is very important as well.

Today I am in Rome for a convention run by our technical partner Shell and then for the last two days of the week, I will be in Maranello, in meetings with the engineers and of course, spending time in the simulator; all part of our efforts to keep on pushing to improve our car, because with two more races coming up in the space of two weekends, we have to react as soon as possible to turn our season around. I mentioned the simulator just now and so I would like to wish a speedy recovery to Davide Rigon, a young driver who does a lot of work for us in the simulator and who unfortunately broke his leg in an accident in Sunday’s GP2 race in Istanbul.

Source: Ferrari.com

Massa: “important for fans to see a really exciting show”

Felipe Massa was called up to today’s FIA press conference in the Istanbul media centre, for the obvious reason that he has won this race three times out of the total of six Turkish Grands Prix held to date. “Of course I’m happy to be at a track where I have won three years in succession from pole,” said the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver. “It’s a great feeling, even if the last two years here have not been so successful, so I hope this weekend we go in the same direction as in the past. Everyone at the track is well wrapped up against the cold and the rain, something never before experienced here, which raises the possibility of a wet race. “It could be a good thing or a bad one, but above all it would be a lottery,” commented the Brazilian. “In winter testing we did very few laps in the rain so it is hard to know what to expect,” he added before moving on to explain what the Scuderia has been up to since China. “Everyone has been working so hard during the break, trying to understand more about the car,” he said. “I hope the new step we have here will be interesting for us, especially for qualifying, given that our race pace is much better than on Saturday afternoon. However, all the teams have been trying to make progress, so until we are actually on track, it is difficult to know what our new parts will deliver and then, the weather could actually make that even harder to assess.”

Asked if he and the team felt under pressure after the results of the first three races, Felipe admitted that now was the time for Ferrari to react. “Clearly, in qualifying Red Bull has had the quickest car and McLaren has also been strong. If you consider that Sebastian’s (Vettel) worst result so far is a second place, it means he already has a big points advantage. So we need to make a significant step here in Barcelona, because even though of course, we never give up, the points gap is quite big now. We must start to get closer to them.”

Whatever the situation regarding Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, Felipe was very positive about the current state of health of Formula 1. “I have heard so many good things since the last race in China, from the press and from other people,” he revealed. “Everyone seems very impressed with the racing and the good fights, the overtaking and the influence of the rear wing, the KERS and the tyres. We drivers have always had fun on the track, but it’s important for the fans to see a really exciting show and it seems we are moving in a good direction on this front compared to last year.”

All the drivers in the conference were asked to say a word about Robert Kubica, the Renault driver recently released from hospital after an horrific rallying accident. “I have known Robert for a very long time,” said Felipe. “Since he was in Formula Renault in fact. He is a great driver and a very nice guy and I miss fighting with him on the track. I hope he can soon return to what he likes doing best, which means racing.”

Finally, Felipe could not help laughing when a journalist mentioned rumours about his being replaced within Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro next year. “What, is it that time already?” joked the Brazilian. “Every year since I have been with Ferrari, there are these rumours and always around this time of year. And like every year, I have nothing to say!”

Source: Ferrari.com

NASCAR: Fans will struggle to identify with Räikkönen

Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway, you will hear cheering for Kyle, Jimmie, Jeff, Mark and even a Junior — names that roll off the tongue of NASCAR fans everywhere.

You won’t be treated to Kimi. Although, that may be coming soon.

Sounds more like a piece of fruit than a racecar driver. No, wait, that is Kiwi. Anyway, it definitely isn’t the name of a driver you picture fans chanting across the south, which still has the largest concentration of NASCAR diehards.

But the unconventional, or the fact that Kimi Raikkonen is from the NASCAR-rich hub of Finland, won’t stop him from making his national series debut, driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) in the Camping World Truck Series event at Charlotte May 20.

Whatever the case, Mr. Räikkönen and NASCAR is a mix that doesn’t make sense.

Räikkönen being able to put both feet in the NASCAR pool shows how this sport has changed. It’s also part of the reason that the United States’ most popular series has lost touch with its fan base and seen its popularity plummet of late.

It’s no longer about talent, carving out good results. It’s about the dollars you bring to the table and how much you can offer a team monetarily.

Credit Kyle Busch for falling into a pit of money, because that is the only reason Raikkonen is able to buy his way into this series.

Busch needs sponsorship dollars for KBM, and what better way to turn the bottom line in your favor than to find a driver that brings bags of money?

This ride wasn’t earned. It was bought, a sad truth and reality that has faced NASCAR racing in the last 10 years.

It’s how drivers advance. Not by accomplishments, but more through the wallet. It’s also how drivers like Elliott Sadler kept a ride in the Sprint Cup Series so long. Really, do you think he would have been with the No. 38 team if not for the M&M/Mars tag?

Isn’t it ironic that when Sadler’s deal with the candy conglomerate was up, he went and those multi-colored milk chocolates stayed?

Hey, we get it. We don’t like the economics of the sport, but we accept them. It’s just the way it is in the racing world.

But fans don’t get it, and shouldn’t.

Look at the influx of foreigners who suddenly want to be part of the fold. Those trying to sell Raikkonen in the same cloth as Juan Pablo Montoya are off the mark. They are totally different scenarios.

Montoya was already part of Chip Ganassi Racing. He spent time in the Indy Racing League and won its premier event, the Indy 500. Where Räikkönen is a newbie, Montoya was already an established North American entity.

And how is that dominant foreign influence helping IRL? It’s not. Instead, it has hurt the popularity in the eyes of race fans who want to see American drivers prosper. Hurting your status and reputation is something NASCAR can’t afford.

We’re not saying Räikkönen isn’t an unbelievable talent; he is. The Finnish standout is young, good-looking and can drive anything with four wheels and probably anything with two or one. Problem is, fans will have trouble identifying with him.

No doubt, there is a group of dignitaries in the NASCAR head office that are grinning ear-to-ear with glee over Räikkönen’s arrival — another chance to further NASCAR’s reach.

But in reality, this move can only benefit Raikkonen’s global appeal and KBM, who is already looking to start a full-time Nationwide team, most likely on their new star’s dime.

As for NASCAR, it can do more harm than good by sending the wrong message to fans and other drivers looking to make their mark the old fashioned way: through hard work.

So far, the racing has been pretty good this season. Crowds are up, allegedly, and television ratings are better than a year ago. There has even been a spark of excitement.

There have been plenty of positives already this season. This, unfortunately, isn’t one of them

Source: pennlive.com

Webber thanks fans with iconic Bolte drive

Australian Formula One champion Mark Webber is set to thrill Australian fans with a taste of his high-octane expertise by crossing Melbourne's iconic Bolte Bridge in a Red Bull Racing F1 car.

The spectacular 'Red Bull Run' will take place at 9.45am on Saturday 19 March as a prelude to the 2011 Formula 1™ Qantas Australian Grand Prix and opening round of the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship season.

"We are the first race on the calendar and this will be the first opportunity for fans to welcome their hero home ahead of the 2011 Formula 1™ Qantas Australian Grand Prix," said Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Westacott.

"This unique event will truly mark the beginning of Webber's 2011 season and we wish him all the best for the year ahead," he said.

The Red Bull Run is a joint initiative between the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Red Bull Australia and Red Bull Racing in conjunction with Victoria Police, the City of Melbourne, Vic Roads and Transurban. All six lanes of the bridge will be closed for the activity with all efforts being made to minimise traffic delays.

Thousands of spectators are expected to gather at Docklands' Waterfront City to view the live action via super-screen and hear the roar of the Red Bull F1 car overhead.

Following his bridge cross, Mark will drive the car down to Waterfront City to greet lucky fans and Australian F1 commentator Greg Rust.

Mark is no stranger to driving across Australia's famous bridges, having conquered the Sydney Harbour Bridge back in 2005. Now it's Melbourne's turn to experience the excitement.

Source: grandprix.com.au

Alonso fans turn out in force at Jerez

Fernando Alonso mobbed by fans in the Jerez paddock

When the engineers and mechanics set off for the track this morning, it must have felt more like preparation for a day’s testing at Fiorano rather than Jerez, as there was so much fog hanging over the circuit.

Then, luckily, it cleared away and a warm sun heated up the track, while there was also plenty of warmth flowing from the thousands of fans who arrived here in the early hours. The queues at the turnstiles, wanting to get in to watch testing, were hundreds of metres long by eight o’clock.

With all due respect to the other drivers, all eyes were on the red car with the number 5 on its nose, belonging to Fernando Alonso. Each time he passed by a crowded area of the circuit a roar erupted which he admitted being able to hear in the cockpit.

The Spaniard began driving shortly after nine and concentrated mainly on a comparison between all four types of tyre brought here by Pirelli for this test, while this afternoon, he will work on doing some long distance runs.

Just like the drivers who ran on Thursday, Fernando wanted to show support for Robert Kubica and the Spaniard is running today with an image on his helmet which is a copy of that used by his Polish friend.

Source: YallaF1

In the hands of fans - Vodafone McLaren Mercedes reveal of the MP4-26

Source: vodafone

Alonso calls for calm from fans after Petrov incident

Fernando Alonso has called on his fans to respect his fellow drivers after Vitaly Petrov revealed the Spaniard's fans had defaced his official Facebook page with insults and abuse.

Alonso gesticulated wildly to Petrov after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix because he felt the Renault driver had held him up as he was battling to get past and catch the leaders to keep his title hopes alive.

Petrov subsequently denounced Alonso's reaction as 'bad manners', leading to the abuse he received.

"Probably my fans didn't like some of his statements after Abu Dhabi," Alonso told Spanish radio Onda Cero. "We all have to think about what we say after a race, but I say to my fans to stay calm because we have lived together a spectacular year."

Alonso added that he was pleasantly surprised to have enjoyed such a margin of superiority over team-mate Felipe Massa in 2010.

"I think there was never such a difference between myself and my team-mate. This makes me happy, given the results I have had. My level of driving I think is at its best and I hope to continue like this next year."

Source: ESPNF1

Petrov reveals Alonso fans defaced website

Vitaly Petrov has revealed that fans of Ferrari and Fernando Alonso littered his official Facebook page with insults and abuse.

"Many people cursed me, saying I had blocked Alonso," admitted the Russian driver.

Renault's Petrov played a pivotal role in the outcome of the 2010 world championship when points leader Alonso could not pass him during the Abu Dhabi finale earlier this month.

After the race, Alonso waved angrily at the 26-year-old rookie, and he now tells Germany's Bild newspaper that many of the Spaniard's supporters were similarly abusive.

But he insisted: "It's nonsense, I did nothing wrong. For 39 laps I was in front of him but no one told me on the radio that I was helping Sebastian be world champion.

"Even if he had (passed), he also had to pass Rosberg. I drove my own race and Ferrari made a tactical error," added Petrov, who dismissed Alonso's post-race gesticulations as "bad manners".

Alonso's failure to pass Petrov meant that Sebastian Vettel was able to close a big points margin to the Spaniard and secure the 2010 title.

"He deserves it," Petrov said, referring to Vettel. "The newspapers said it was a miracle, but it was his hard work."

Bild asked Petrov if the new world champion had congratulated him personally for his role in the title outcome.

"He doesn't have my phone number," answered the Russian. "But I saw that he wrote on his website to his fans that he was grateful to me."

Source: Motorsport

Finnish fans shared Vettel's and Pärmäkoski's joy

Turun Sanomat 15.11 2010

The new Formula 1 champion Sebastien Vettel's Finnish personal trainer Tommy Pärmäkoski received immediately after the bull's eye in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as many as 120 congratulations to his cell phone - from friends and strangers.

- There is such a big bunch of congratulations that it tells F1 in Finland is still very popular, Pärmäkoski assured ouzing vitality although the Red Bull team had celebrated the title until four in the morning.

Pärmäkoski was mostly warmed by the congratulations his colleague Mark Arnall sent since he knew the trainer's feelings after helping Mika Häkkinen and Kimi Räikkönen become world champions.

- Doesn't it feel good? It is a special feeling, Arnall reminded, and Pärmäkoski admitted that it was.

Pärmäkoski will stay in Abu Dhabi for this week because Vettel drives the Pirelli tyre tests both on Friday and Saturday. After that he heads home to Kuortane for a holiday. Vettel ends the season in the traditional Race of Champions that is held in the end of November in Düsseldorf. Vettel and Mark Webber have some promotional work first on Tuesday in Salzburg and then on Wednesday in Milton Keynes factory.

* Invitation to the Castle Kimi's vocabulary *

Vettel attracted attention in Finland because of the comment he gave in Finnish to MTV3:

- It was a good day. Where is my invitation to the castle? I'm almost a Finnish man.

How can a German athlete be aware of the world champions getting invitations to the castle in Finland?

- I guess it has stuck on Sebastian's mind from some chats with Kimi Räikkönen when Kimi went to that party. He doesn't understand Finnish but he pulls out those phrases fluently, Pärmäkoski explains.

Vettel brought up Räikkönen when he won the title. The contact between those two F1 world champions have however been less because they each have their own schedules and because the back pains that troubled Kimi during the rally season haven't given him a chance to play badminton or tennis with Vettel.

* Something in the throat, trash in the eye *

Vettel cried of happiness on the podium.

How did Pärmäkoski control his feelings since he has shared the ups and downs this season?

- I got something in the throat. After all a real man doesn't cry but I might have got some trash in the eye at that point.

- When you repress your feelings during the entire race you just get that drowsy feeling when winning. Just like you would have got your work done. I don't even know if you understand anything else except that you have been working like a dog for this and now it's there.

Vettel praised the help of Pärmäkoski and his family during his way to the championship. The Finnish trainer also knows Vettel's family very closely.

- It's amazing how you learn to know another human being in this way when we're together 300 days a year, see places, different people and learn to know with whom Sebastian feels at peace and with whom he doesn't.

* You have to know how to read athletes *

Pärmäkoski played ice hockey as a goalkeeper. How different is it to win as a trainer?

- Very different of course when you have a different trainer and a different athlete. This is one kind of a game. You have to be able to control yourself and read the athlete. It would have been useless to encourage Sebastian very much before the final race. I just had to try and calm him down and keep him totally on the ground.

- A trainer has to have a psychological eye so that he can see the overall picture and act accordingly, Pärmäkoski says.

Turun Sanomat, Abu Dhabi

HEIKKI KULTA

Courtesy: Nicole

Thank You From Sebastian Vettel

Source: Facebook-Redbullracing

Finland: Räikkönen is looking forward to his fans

The Rally Finland is for the climax of the season, Kimi Räikkönen - with Dani Sordo, the Star a new teammate in the junior team

Superstar Kimi Raikkonen is the second time after 2009 to attend the rally in Finland. Last year, however, its use car landed in a ditch. This season, the Formula 1 world champion from 2007 has arrived in the rally world. New Citroen's Dani Sordo junior team after Sebastien Ogier has been promoted to the captaincy.

After the asphalt-trip in Bulgaria is in Finland back on gravel. Nor Raikkonen is struggling in the unfamiliar terrain, but he was able to complete prior to further test miles. "Thanks to a test drive on gravel again we could see our speed. These meters are essential for a rally such as Finland," says the "Iceman".

"The experience from last year will help me, but there is a big difference in performance between a Super 2000 and a WRC. It is as if one would go to another rally. I look forward much to the event. In Formula 1 I could never compete on home soil. I know that many fans will be in the service areas and along the special stages. For me it is the highlight of the season. "

The team of Raikkonen came in preparation for a restructuring. From Finland Sordo Citroën is the second control of the junior teams. Nogier Manager Benoit said: "The task of our team is to give young riders the opportunity to develop their skills at a high level. We have achieved this goal with Ogier," says Nogier the victory in Portugal. "We hope that carries on Dani on the same level and can show his abilities."

Sordo can change abgewinnen positive: "I now feel less pressure. I do not have to constantly have in mind that I earn points for the constructors' championship has. I can now concentrate on me to drive my own rally and deliver hope the best performance .

In addition, the 27-year-old meets familiar faces. "When I started in the WRC with the Xsara, were already some people from the junior team here. This is linked with nice memories and we were able to show good performance, which led to my work commitment. The team is very professional and it There is a pleasant atmosphere. All the ingredients are in place to ensure success. "

The team change was made just before one of the toughest rallies of the year. "Finland is very tricky because it is very fast, many local drivers are very good. But I love the rally," said Sordo. "The high speeds have for each driver, very exciting. We must through the woods and over the tops of risk. You have a good pace notes and very precise driving."

"I know that I belong to a good team. Now I must make the best of it. I will as always give everything," looking ahead of the 27-year-old. "In the last two years, I have narrowly missed the podium in fourth. I want to show my skills and set consistent times."

Source: Motorsport Total.com
Courtesy: luieluv

[Videos] Seb in Monaco

Source: YouTube @fran83b

Alonso: Fans expecting a lot in Spain

Fernando Alonso heads home to Spain with fans demanding a win and admitting that it's time Ferrari proved that they can do just that.

Alonso is the only Spaniard ever to have won his home race, having clinched the Spanish GP title back in 2006 with Renault. However, it was only his victory at Barcelona to go with his additional three podium finishes.

The Spaniard hasn't been on the podium at his home track for the past two years, largely due to the under-performing Renault that he was racing.

This year, however, he enters his home race as a Ferrari driver and one of the favourites to claim the victory - if not the favourite amongst the fans.

"Barcelona is always a very special race for me, I will try to make everyone happy in Spain. I know people will expect a lot from us but I think we are ready for the challenge and in Barcelona we should be very competitive," he told the team's website.

"Normally in Barcelona you need a car that is aerodynamically very well set up, there are a lot of very long corners.

"Also you need historically to start at the front. Being in pole position gives you a very high possibility to win the race so we will try to start at the front."

And the double World Champion, who is third in the Drivers' standings, 11 points behind Championship leader Jenson Button, firmly believes his Ferrari is capable of delivering the goods.

"The balance of the first four races is good. We made some mistakes so we lost some points but overall I think we are in a very good position for the Championship.

"We have a very competitive car and a winning car. So I think overall it is now time to show everybody we really want this Championship more than anyone else. It's time to deliver now."

Source: Planet F1

Kimi's fans at the Malaysian GP

Source: motorsport-magazin

Courtesy: _TaniaS_@ KROF

Greetings from Bahrain Heikki Kovalainen

Source: YouTube - OfficialKovalainen

"He is the best and the most handsome in the world"

Imagine a combo of Beatles-hysteria and the queue to Skansen (a very popular event) and you have mother and daughter Karlsen, Janne and Henriette, in a compact form.

These two Norwegian ladies have a huge passion in life - it is spelled out Kimi Räikkönen.– He is such a good driver, Janne says, and he is so handsome too...

Finally at the finish line. The idol Kimi Räikkönen gives autographs and Janne and Henriette Karlsen don't believe it's actually happening.

Mother Janne and daughter Henriette Karlsen from Norway are real hardcore-fans. They have seen him live in two F1-races and nothing could now stop them from being first in the line leading to the rally drivers giving out autographs.

When the guards finally opened the door Janne Karlsen yelled so high that a scream like that hasn't been heard ever since the Beatles visited Norway. After that she and her daughter stormed by Loeb and the other big names like smiling robots looking for their destination.

They simply had eyes for only Kimi Räikkönen.– We cried when it was clear that he wouldn't be in F1 anymore but after that we got the news that he will be in WRC and then we cried again but this time out of happiness, Janne tells and laughs.

”Here only for Kimi”

When they knew that Kimi Räikkönen would come to Sweden they didn't even discuss whether they should go or not.

These ladies don't give a damn about WRC, they aren't moved by sport.– We are here only for Kimi, only for Kimi, 20-year old Henriette explains.

Father Terje sat in the audience hall with Henriette's boyfriend.– Our interest started with daddy following F1 and him liking Kimi Räikkönen. But now we have totally taken over, Henriette says.

Doesn't your father think that you....well, overdo it a bit?– Haha, yes he does but he leaves us alone, Henriette states

She wanted to get the autograph on her lower arm so that she could have filled it and made it permanent in a tattoo-studio in Karlstad.

But Kimi wasn't willing to write on her arm.

Both mother and daughter were more than happy with their 45 seconds with their super-idol.– He smiled at me, did you see Henriette - and then he put his hand here on my shoulder, Janne screams.

The Finn won't probably win the championship in Charm but he has other titles stored and more in sight.

He will try to be the first one to win the championship in both F1 and WRC.

And with fans like Janne and Henriette nothing seems impossible.– I mean he is the best and the most handsome guy in the world, Janne says with a blissful sigh....

Source: nwt.se
Courtesy: Nicole Planet-F1