Kimi Räikkönen Press Conference at Neste Oil Rally Finland 2011

Kimi Räikkönen during Press Conference today in Jyväskylä at Neste Oil Rally Finland 2011

Q: Kimi this will be your third attempt at Rally Finland, the second time in a WRC car – what is the aim this year?

KR: I think it’s the same than all the other rallies; we try to drive as fast as we can and hopefully improve. I know some stages a bit now, but last year was like the first time again and tomorrow is new stages, which will be difficult again. It’s good, it’s nice and fast, we’ll see how the pace notes go.

Q: What do you think of the stages in the south?

KR: Of course they are a little bit different, but there are fast places and some smaller roads – they are nice stages.

Q: Do you feel you have clicked in WRC yet?

KR: We have improved a lot, it feels more normal sometimes. When you get above a certain level it becomes normal. The pace notes, this is the area where we can pick up a lot of time.

Q: Are you still enjoying it?

KR: I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.

Q: Will you stick with just rally this year or will there be more racing?

KR: The plan is to do the rest of the rallies, the other things, there’s nothing planned.

Q: Do you know anything about next year yet?

KR: No. Not yet. There are some options, but I have to decide.

Q: When do you make that decision?

KR: No idea.

Source: FIA
Courtesy: momo

Räikkönen to MTV3: My Jyväskylä victory may take some time

After Finland's WRC rally MTV3 asked Kimi Räikkönen whether his name will some day be written on the honorable list of Jyväskylä winners. Jari-Matti Latvala was added on that list on Saturday.

After the race Räikkönen almost promised to return to Jyväskylä's gravel roads next year.

-It's very much possible. Nothing is certain but it's a bigger chance than me driving in F1.

Reaching the victory battle in Rally Finland demands previous experience.

-There's fast roads here that one can drive really fast when one knows them. I've noticed that it would be possible to drive a lot faster into many places but that will come after driving them enough. This was one of the most difficult rallies. Rally Finland is well organized and there were a lot of spectators. The feeling is a bit different than in a lot of other places. It was a wonderful experience, Räikkönen said.

Next Räikkönen heads to Germany for rally tests. So he won't participate in Helsinki Motorsport Weekend next week.

Source: MTV3
Courtesy: Dracaena

Kimi Räikkönen - On the way to Jyväskylä 2010

Source: mixxue3

Kimi Räikkönen attend a media meeting of the Citroën Rally Team

Pics of Kimi Räikkönen in Jyväskylä Today

RÄIKKÖNEN IS GOING TO CHALLENGE THE TOP IN JYVÄSKYLÄ

Kimi Räikkönen recently grabbed his second best position in rally.

The Citroen-driver came in 5th in Turkey.

He has chances of doing even better in July in Jyväskylä where he was keeping up a surprisingly fast speed last summer with his Fiat in his career's first WRC-rally.

- Jyväskylä is a familiar rally, except for Sunday, Kimi smiled and referred to him driving out during the last stage on Saturday last year in Jyväskylä.

- Hopefully I have got more experience by the time of Jyväskylä so that I could drive faster and challenge the top. It's easier to go to the races when you have more knowledge about the roads and notes. It will help in Jyväskylä.

Getting to the same speed as the top is Räikkönen's biggest motivator on the rally paths.

- I aim for the top all the time, otherewise there would be no sense to drive. I knew beforehand that the others will go pretty fast but the main thing is that I can improve little by little. When you succeed in one stage it already gives you more self-confidence.

Nine seasons in F1 and 5 rallies in WRC give Räikkönen some insight to the differences between the series apart from the driving.

- There aren't as many races in rally as there are in F1 but the races are longer. F1 was probably 20 years ago the same as rally is today. Rally has a more relaxed style and the settings are different. You don't spend time on the paddock, you are in the middle of the forest driving around from one stage to another.

Source: STT
Courtesy: Nicole