Engine-inspection decides whether Kimi continues or not

– It got some error. The engine took a bit of fire, we stopped and extinguised it but then it stopped 500 meters later, Räikkönen told TS.

Kaj Lindström explained that all of a sudden smoke was coming under the hood and then the flames took off.

The car was in the furthest possible place from the service park. Räikkönen was picked up by a helicopter.

Räikkönen isn't throwing in the towel right away. They will inspect the engine and depending on the damages he knows whether he can continue the rally on Saturday or not. He has a huge urge to finally get on Spain's tarmac.

Turun Sanomat, Salou

HEIKKI KULTA

Courtesy: Nicole

THE MEETING OF ALL DREAMS IN FINLAND: RÄIKKÖNEN VS VETTEL

They are putting up a duel between Kimi and Sebastian Vettel in Finland.

It would take place in Helsinki Motorsport Weekend during 7.-8. August. Neither one of them has given an official confirmation yet but Vettel has already given his personal 'yes', therefore it's only up to Red Bull's permission. The organizers believe strongly that Räikkönen will also participate. What makes it easier to happen is that Red Bull is the sponsor for the event and also the employer of both stars.

Räikkönen's co-driver Kaj Lindström has already promised that he is in the competition for co-drivers so it's a sure sign that neither one of them is doing any rally work that weekend.

In the competition star drivers from different genres compete against each other with the similar vehicle, meaning Legends-cars, Bullspeed Cross Karts and KTM X-Bows. Two drivers will drive at the same time on the track that has been built in Helsinki's Fish harbor. If they get both Räikkönen and Vettel, they will put them both to drive at the same time against each other á la Race of Champions.

From former F1-drivers Mika Salo has already promised to participate. Jacques Villeneuve is probably coming too.

Source: MTV3
Courtesy: Nicole

Kimi Räikkönen makes best of tricky Portugal

By Charlie Contadeli

Former Grand Prix champion Kimi Raikkonen has coped well in Portugal against rivals who have a three-year head start on him, according to his co-driver Kaj Lindstrom.

“This was always going to be a difficult rally for Kimi, because everyone else has been here three times already but for him it’s completely new,” said the Finn. “Under the circumstances, he’s done very well.”

Raikkonen, who ran towards the bottom of the top 10 from the start of the event, admitted that he found it difficult to master the complex Portuguese stages. “It’s one of the most tricky rallies I have faced so far,” he said. “What I really enjoy is the quick stages, with a flow to them, rather than these more technical stages. And after more than a month out of the car, it’s not easy.”

This will be the Finn’s last gravel rally for a while, as he will contest the Rally della Lanterna in Italy in two weeks time, prior to the Rally Bulgaria at the beginning of July.

“I’ve not driven the car on asphalt yet, but I think it could feel a bit more normal for me,” added Raikkonen. “On the gravel events, every rally has been different.”

The Rally della Lanterna, based in Genoa, will be a tough test for Raikkonen. The narrow asphalt stages are reminiscent of the Sanremo Rally, with several bumps and surface changes.

Source: MaxRally

WRC RALLY OF TURKEY 2010 KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN OFFICIAL WEB SITE (WITH KAJ LINDSTRÖM)

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM

CO-DRIVER STUCKED

Kaj Lindström didn't get to Finland yesterday.

Lindström flew on Sunday with Räikkönen from Istanbul to Nizza where the men's ways parted.

- Kimi went to Switzerland from there and I myself went towards Finland. I'm travelling in a rented car and God knows when I will get back to Finland, Lindström sighed.

According to the co-driver he hasn't lost his nerves even though the trip back home has been delayed and complicated.

- You can't do anything about it. The travel agency works all the time so that I could get to Finland. Now the airport (Helsinki-Vantaa) would be open between three and eleven but I wasn't in a place from where I could have got to Finland, Lindström cleared.

So far Lindström's journey hasn't been much of an adventure.

- There hasn't been any complications. But we seem to be quite vulnerable as soon as the air planes aren't flying.

Kimi doesn't take risks

Riku Kuvaja doesn't know if Kimi has come home yet.

- I don't know, I haven't spoken with him. He got as far as to Europe, Kuvaja said referring to his flight on Sunday.

Kuvaja couldn't say what route Kimi will use in order to get home.

- The air company decides that. They don't take any risks, Kuvaja said.

Kuvaja thinks that Kimi hasn't taken much trouble over his journey back home.

- This is a worldwide problem. F1-drivers are stuck in China so everybody share the same problem.

Source: Iltasanomat
Courtesy: Nicole

RÄIKKÖNEN ON SPARKLING FORM IN TURKEY

In Turkey, Kimi Raikkonen led from start to finish. At the beginning, he briefly lost the lead but the flying Finn soon took it back. Conditions were hot, but not as hot as people expected, and although it was Kimi's first time there he put on a dominant performance to win in Istanbul. Victory for Raikkonen!

Actually, what we are talking about here is not the second day of the Rally of Turkey, which came to a close this evening, but Kimi's win at the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix in 2005.

The Iceman's memorable Formula One victory in Turkey was the sixth out of his 18 Grand Prix successes, on a circuit that coincidentally runs right next to the Rally of Turkey route this year. The second day of the rally may not have concluded with champagne for Kimi - particularly as there is another full day of driving to tackle tomorrow - but he was still on sparkling form from start to finish.

In fact, his faultless performance on the second challenging day of the Rally of Turkey was probably just as much of a success as his triumph on the Istanbul Park circuit just under five years ago. For someone who has completed just two World Championship rallies in a World Rally Car, Kimi's progress was nothing short of astonishing. Starting the day eighth, he ended up sixth.

"You can't compare the Turkish Grand Prix with the Rally of Turkey because they are so different, but for me, the rally is definitely more difficult," said Kimi, cutting a cool figure in the service park with his Red Bull cap and trademark sunglasses. "This takes just as much concentration as winning a Grand Prix; in fact maybe more as so many things are new to me. But today was a really good day. We were able to set times that were closer to the guys in front and that's the main thing. What I'm really pleased about is that we could do it without taking big risks. We even stalled a couple of times, so if you take that away then the times are not bad at all. Let's see what happens tomorrow but for now it's going really well and I'm feeling comfortable."

Co-driver Kaj Lindstrom has less experience of winning Grands Prix, but he still knows a good performance when he sees one. "I'd say that today is the best time that myself and Kimi have had in a rally car together so far," he said. "It comes from a lot of things: more time in the car, more confidence, and more practice with the pace notes. Put all those things together and you end up with a pretty good performance, which is what we saw today."

Source: Red Bull - RallyBuzz

DELIGHT IN TURKEY FOR KIMI AND KAJ

Kimi Räikkönen Red Bull Rally of Turkey day one report

Mint, cinnamon, pistachio, roses and walnut: all flavours of lokum, which is better known throughout the world as 'Turkish delight'.

These exotic flavours sound considerably more romantic than the fattening reality of the ingredients: starch and sugar. So Turkish delight is not recommended for anybody on a diet. Nor is it a great present for people who are colour blind or have an uncontrollable hatred of traffic lights, given that Turkish delight mainly comes in red, yellow and green varieties.

There are many stories as to how the original sweet was created. One story says that it was commissioned by a Sultan to please his many wives. Napoleon, Pablo Picasso and Winston Churchill are just three of the famous people to have loved this Turkish treasure ever since.

But Kimi Raikkonen doesn't need sugary desserts to feel the delight in Turkey. And it wasn't just Red Bull giving him wings either: a spectacular jump on stage four of the Rally of Turkey launched all the cars several metres into the air. So far, round four of the World Rally Championship has been a breathtaking show.

After a great opening day that concluded with a superspecial in the centre of Istanbul, Kimi ended up in a solid eighth place overall with two tough days of the Rally of Turkey still to go. So he's not drawing any conclusions just yet.

"It's been good today," said the Iceman. "We've really been sticking with the tactic of going at a comfortable speed in order to make sure that we get to the finish and hopefully score some points. Actually, it's really hard to say how the rest of the rally will go because all the days are very different, but the main thing is that we're enjoying ourselves - especially over the big jumps! We've had no problems at all today: on one stage this morning I didn't have such a great feeling, but for only our fourth WRC rally in this car it's going well. There's obviously a lot more to come from us, so it's simply a question of learning."

Kaj Lindstrom, the voice of experience inside the Red Bull car, was also delighted by Kimi's progress in Turkey. "Today was just what we were after: a nice, solid beginning to the rally that sets us up well for the challenge of tomorrow," he said. "I think that's going to be the hardest day of the event, as we've got some really tough roads and long stages. But Kimi is taking everything in his stride: nothing bothers him. Making the switch to rallying is a massive challenge, so he's a brave guy. But I think everyone knew that already!"

Source: Red Bull - RallyBuzz

Räikkönen's car was vandalized

According to Sportti.com Kimi Räikkönen's car was stoned during Jordan Rally.

Kimi Räikkönen is loved in Finland but the star driver is apparently not as popular in Jordan. According to Sportti.com Räikkönen and his co-driver Kaj Lindström were stoned when they were moving away from a super stage finish during the last day of the rally.

It was done by little boys, and what's most important, the windshield of the car remained intact. The Finnish duo did anyway report the vandalism to a police patrol.

Source: Iltalehti.fi
Courtesy: Dracaena

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

KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN AIMS TO STAY AFLOAT IN JORDAN

Kimi Raikkonen willl be one of the many visitors to the Dead Sea this year...but it's no holiday for him and Kaj Lindstrom

There are actually no hidden bodies in the Dead Sea, close to Amman in Jordan: the venue for round three of Kimi Raikkonen's World Rally Championship assault with Red Bull. Instead, the name comes from the fact that the water is made up of 33% salt, making it impossible for nature to stay alive for very long.

Tourism though is very much alive. The Dead Sea is now a busy holiday resort, with people flocking to sit up on water that makes them more buoyant than Elvis Presley in a rubber ring. This week though, the holidaymakers' peace will be interrupted by the noise of rally cars. It's time to stop floating and pay attention.

Many sporting events lay claim to record-breaking superlatives, but the Jordan Rally is the only motorsport competition in the world held below sea level - pending the formation of a submarine Grand Prix series, at least.

Rally Jordan could not be a greater contrast to Kimi's last event in Mexico, which was held at around 2800 metres in altitude. Nonetheless, Kimi is looking to adopt exactly the same tactic on only the eighth-ever rally he has contested in his life this week. With dust, gravel, and sand, the terrain Jordan is as unfamiliar to Kimi as eating sheeps' eyes: a notorious delicacy of the Middle East.

Kimi gave a hint of what he is capable of with a fifth-fastest time on stage four of Rally Mexico but he is looking to build up to speed as the Jordan Rally goes on.

"For sure, it's another huge challenge for me but I'm getting used to that now!" said Kimi. "I've done some testing which helps, but obviously Jordan will be a completely new set of conditions and we will need a bit of time to get used to them. Each of the three rallies we have done so far is massively different, but this is part of rallying; you have to be quick everywhere on all the various surfaces. Of all the events we have tried, this is the territory that is probably the most unfamiliar so far, so it's going to be an interesting adventure and the main idea is obviously to get to the end. I'm looking forward to it: I'm feeling good and I'm ready to go."

Jordan is also one of the few rallies that Kimi's experienced co-driver Kaj Lindstrom - the veteran of 64 WRC events - has never competed on before. "That's true, but you just treat every rally in the same way and get on with your job," said Kaj. "It does mean that it's going to be very important for us to get through all the stages and make good pace notes. That's one area where Kimi has improved a lot so far this year and it's getting better and better all the time. So I think we'll have a good time; and we'll make sure that we avoid any camels..."

Source: Rally Buzz

Raikkonen and Ogier aim to conquer the desert on Jordan Rally

After returning from Scandinavia and Central America, the Citroën Junior Team now heads to the Middle East for the Jordan Rally, round three of the 2010 World Rally Championship. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia and Kimi Räikkönen/Kaj Lindström will be at the wheel of the two Citroën C4 WRCs, and their objective will be to gain as much experience as possible on a distinctly unusual event.

On Rally Mexico the Citroën C4 WRCs had to compete at an altitude of 2800 metres: now they drop down to stages that are 400 metres below sea level – the lowest point in the world – on the Jordan Rally.

The rally, round three of this year’s World Championship, is based on the Red Sea coast and maintains the same general characteristics as it did in 2008, featuring a compact itinerary within a 75-kilometre radius of the service park.

The rally will take place over three legs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Just one stage is new (Rumman Forest) while three others are reversed (Wadi Shueib, Yakrut et Bahath) compared to last time. The surface, consisting of hard but flowing gravel, offers a good level of grip.

Sébastien Ogier took part in the Jordan Rally back in 2008 with a Citroën C2 Super 1600, winning the Junior WRC category. “The organisers have come up with a really nice route, which takes in fast and flowing stages,” he said. “The surface is hard and gives us good grip. All the landscape in the middle of the desert looks very similar, which is why having good pace notes becomes even more important than it is on other events. Myself and my co-driver Julien will certainly have to pay a lot of attention during the recce.”

Sébastien Ogier is third in the World Rally Championship standings with two rounds gone, having finished on the podium in Mexico. His objective in Jordan will be to maintain the same excellent results that he has achieved since the season started. “We knew that we could take nothing for granted and that we had to continue to work hard in order to make more progress,” he added. “Jordan is going to be a difficult rally as the characteristics of the stages are quite unusual. But we were able to get a good feeling with the car during some tests before heading off to the recce in Jordan. Our objectives remain the same. It’s important not to let anything go to my head and to continue gaining confidence.”

Source: RallyBuzz

Kimi Mexican Rally Preview

This is my first trip to Mexico, this is my first rally in this continent and this is my first rally on gravel with this Red Bull Citroen WRC car. Obviously, it’s several new things for me on the same trip.

This is my seventh rally with my co-driver Kaj Lindstrom. Like always, we came here with a very positive feeling. It’s going to be very interesting to see, how the car works out there and how much grip there is this time after two rallies on such a different surface.

When you look the sceneries behind the windshield, you see a barren mountain range, stunted trees, dry and dust. The weather is very warm and we are something like 2000 metres over sea level. Well, it’s going to pretty sweaty rally. No doubt about it.

I’ve been seeing all the time, the importance of getting the pace notes right. Now it’s going to be even more decisive. I noticed how much effort you have to put in while making the notes. Now it feels a bit easier, but, for sure, it’s never going to be the easiest job of the world.

We didn’t test after the Swedish Rally, but now we have done the pace notes here in Leone area. My aim is exactly the same we had in Sweden- to finish the rally without too much extra program on the road.

Every single mile means more experience for me and more feel for me. While we do every stage twice, it helps a little bit. But here, obviously, the roads will be wearing and the surface will be changing all the time. So you never know how it is, while you attack on the stage.

I’ve been racing only once before on gravel. It was the Finnish Rally last year with my own car. Gravel is the surface that everybody associates with rally. And for me it’s a complete contrast to anything that I experienced in Formula 1 racing.

Sliding with a Formula 1 car meant you did something wrong. Here it’s like it should be in a rally. We learned a lot in Sweden and this will certainly help us in Mexico, but effectively we are starting all over again from the beginning now, as this rally has nothing in common with Sweden.

My approach is going to be exactly the same though: we want to build up our speed at a comfortable pace and above all get to the finish.

I’m hoping that Mexico will be a little easier for us, but with gravel being the most common surface on the World Rally Championship it’s important for us to learn as much as possible.

We managed to get quicker the last time we were out and this will be the aim for us again in Mexico.

Source: Kimiraikkonen.com
Courtesy: _TaniaS_

Rally Mexico Preview - Citroën Junior Team set for Mexico debut

Ogier/Julien Ingrassia and Kimi Raikkonen/Kaj Lindstrom will drive the team’s two Citroen C4 WRCs.
Having appeared on the World Rally Championship for the first time in 2004, the Léon-based event features the most concentrated rally route on the calendar this year. In fact, a full 354,60 kilometres out of a total route lenght of only 884,58 kilometres are run competitively. Another peculiarity of Rally Mexico is that competitors will be driving at an altitude of almost 2800 metres at one point on the opening day (Ortega, SS2 and SS6). Citroen comes into the event fresh from three consecutive victories in Mexico, between 2006 and 2008. Nonetheless, the Rally Mexico will be an all-new experience for the Citroen Junior Team, which goes there for the first time.

Kimi Raikkonen and Kaj Lindstrom will continue their learning curve on the gravel of Mexico. Following their first rally on the snowy tracks of Sweden in February, the Finnish crew now faces a new challenge on a very different surface.

"What I love about rallying is that you have to be competitive on all sorts of different surfaces,” said Kimi. “After my experience on snow, now I’m going to find out about driving on gravel. I really don’t know what to expect, but that is all part of our learning process. I’m very much looking to driving the Citroen C4 WRC in these challenging conditions and getting as many kilometres under my belt as I can, in order to add to my experience”.

Source: KimiRaikkonen.com
Courtesy: _TaniaS_ OF

Give Raikkonen time, urges Citroen boss

Citroen racing boss Olivier Quesnel has praised the efforts of his latest driver signing, Kimi Raikkonen, on Rally Sweden, but has warned the WRC community not to expect too much too soon.

Raikkonen, the 2007 Formula One world champion, completed his first ever World Rally Championship event at the weekend, reaching the finish in 30th place, 37 minutes behind the leaders, in his Citroen C4 WRC.

He set stage times within the top 10 overall on what was only his sixth-ever rally, including a sixth-fastest time on Saturday. Had he not driven his car into a snow bank on the opening day, he would have finished comfortably within the top 10 and scored points on his debut.

Quesnel believes it was a performance which was in line with expectations. "We cannot ask too much of Kimi at this stage," he said. "Sweden I think is the most difficult rally to start with, and everybody is looking at him and waiting for - I don't know what - but he couldn't give more than he has. Kimi did not do a bad job here. He told me he made too many mistakes but it’s obvious he has to make mistakes - he's learning!

"All of us have to be patient - and that includes the media. Kimi will be okay by the end of the year. It will be a long way to success but I'm sure he's determined and I know for sure that he wants to succeed. We need to give him the time."

Raikkonen felt he had made good progress on his first WRC rally with the Citroen Juniors. "It was a really encouraging event, which allowed me to learn so much," said the Finn. "From the start to the finish I felt I was improving all the time, which is what I expected from having more time in the car. Sure, we still have a lot to learn because the whole feeling is so different to what I had in Formula 1. But I'm getting a good idea of how to use the pace notes now and I understand the car a bit better as well.

"We wanted to have some more experience of the car and especially get to the finish, so we have achieved everything we wanted this weekend. Now I'm looking forward to driving gravel on the next rally in Mexico; it should be a bit easier for me I think," he added.

For co-driver Kaj Lindstrom, Rally Sweden was a revelation. "When you sit alongside a driver like Kimi, you don't expect him to be anything other than an amazing talent, but I have to say that he surprised even me this weekend. He was driving at a pace that was quick but extremely controlled; we weren't going crazy or taking any real risks. Today we built on the progress we had made over the previous days, so I'm feeling really confident for the future now."

Fonte: WRC

Kimi Räikkönen Sweden Rally 2010 From Citroën WRC

Source: YouTube

WRC Rookies 1 - Kimi Raikkonen

There's a new Flying Finn in this year's World Rally Championship, in the shape of former F1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen.

Having decided to put his circuit career on hold for a while, Raikkonen will make his World Rally Car debut next week in Sweden, driving a C4 WRC for the Citroen Junior Rally Team, partnered by co-driver Kaj Lindstrom.

Ahead of him this year is a 12-round programme with the French manufacturer, and the chance to test his skills against the best rally drivers on the planet.

At the launch of the World Rally Championship in Paris on 2 February, Raikkonen talked EXCLUSIVELY to wrc.com about the challenge ahead.

What are your ambitions for the season ahead?

First of all we have a lot to learn from the rallies, and that's not going to be an easy challenge. We did one rally last weekend and it definitely helped us going to Sweden. We'll just take things from there. We need to do our best, learn as quickly as we can and hopefully get some good results."

Will you be disappointed if you don't get a podium this season?

"I don't know, because it's too early to say. Like I said, we need to learn a lot. Hopefully at some point we can be really fast. But at the moment I don't know what to expect."

What are you looking forward to most this season?

"I would say everything, because everything is new and completely different to Formula One. At this stage it's all exciting; it doesn't really matter where we go or what we do, it's a new thing."

What is it about driving a rally car that you find so appealing?

"For me the thrill of driving is all about the challenge. And in rallies there are so many variables - like different conditions, different roads and different surfaces - that there is a big challenge. When you go on a stage, things can change from corner to corner so much and it's just a great feeling to drive the car when it's like that. There are a lot of things you can learn. For instance, in a rally you might have to master three different types of conditions. In Formula One that's not the case."

How do you get faster in a WRC car?

"You need experience and a lot of practise and testing. It takes time but I guess more kilometres will the main key to improvement. Also I need to learn the notes and be able to listen very well. They're the main things."

How does the WRC compare to F1?

"It's a completely different world. The events themselves are different and the people are different. At this launch, with everyone together, there seems to be a more open and easy relationship between the teams and that's one of the very nice things about rally. There is also a sense that the sport is picking up. There have been maybe some difficult times but it looks like everything is turning better and in the next couple of years it should be even more popular that it is now. It's quite strong."

Are you serious about rally?

"Yes. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't serious. Anytime I start something new I want to learn, and try to do the best I can. It's something that's going to be a big challenge and I'm looking forward to it."

Are you looking forward to any rallies in particular?

"In this car everything is new this year. Finland is the only one I know a little bit, so in that way that should be the easiest one, but what I learned there last year is that it's a tricky place. Asphalt rallies will also be nice; I'm looking forward to seeing how the car handles."

What about a return to F1? At what point in the year are you going to have to make that choice about what you do in 2011?

"I have set no deadlines on myself. Let's see how things are going. I really enjoy it here now, and if it's like this then maybe I stay or maybe I try something else. I have no plans, no deadlines yet. Let's see what happens."

Source: WRC