Kimi - Spanish Grand Prix review: You can’t always get what you want!

It’s always good to finish the Grand Prix weekend in the podium. Up there you see how much people have enjoyed the race, you see your team having fun – and you sum up for yourself, how good was your own race.


As a team, for the first time, we got more points than anybody else. Obviously, it cannot be much better than that! But as a team, we also felt, that there could have been even more points to get from this race, as well.

Everybody knew before coming to Barcelona, it was going to be very tight again between so many teams, and it would end up being down to tyre strategy to gain a bit of advantage, if possible. Our car has been good and strong everywhere, but the hotter is the track temperature, the better it is for E20.

For the starters, obviously, it was ideal weather for us. The sun made it feel like summer – and the track temperature was exactly, what ’our doctor ordered’ it to be!

We did our usual Friday programme, the long runs were giving promising data, and the tyre was working as we expected it to work. No problems, with that at all.

The qualifying was ok. We had too much some set-up issues before starting the Q1, but in the final run for the day, the car was at it’s best. Actually so good, that it surprised me in one corner. We lost some time and were out of the first row. But, all in all, it was a solid qualifying result to go for it in the race.

Obviously, the weather was not doing us any favors, while the real good sunshine from previous days was fading for the race start, and the so important track temperature came down accordingly, too. We went along with our tactics. The start was ok, but I could not improve more than one place.

With a hotter temperature, maybe, the second stint would have been our stint, but in this time, it was the stint, where we lost our way to higher positions. The soft solution was not the optimal solution this time. After second stint the gap to the leaders was just a bit too much to catch up in the end.

Well, we tried our best. With the hard tyre working better, we got close again - and a few laps more to go, we could have won. But it’s waste of energy to think, what could have happened. We got P3, 15 points and gained 3 places in the championship. As a racing driver I cannot be 100% happy, if I not winning after being so close, knowing the potential of the car, and being the fastest of top 3 drivers at the end of race. But You cannot always get what You want!

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM

Kimi's Column: Malaysian Grand Prix review

Good vibrations! Well, two races done, eighteen to go. So far it¹s been more or less all right for me. I¹ve been having a good time, that¹s for sure. You never know about racing; Everything can happen ­ like the Malaysian Grand Prix showed us all. In a race while it rains like that and they stop it for a while, it opens up a chance for the handicapped cars, too. If you get your timing perfectly right, you get a free road, see well and you can fight for the top place. Wish it would have been us... But it¹s useless to get too thrilled afterwards, while, obviously, it doesn¹t change the result any more. The team has working very hard to keep us going to the right direction. Obviously, we have a good and solid car to work with. It¹s been quick everywhere. The weather and some happenings in the course of race weekend have not done us any favours, but that¹s motor racing. You just have to deal with what ever occurs and try to get best out of it. We had some work to do after Friday sessions. The car was not working properly. We lacked downforce, there was something wrong with the floor and we didn¹t have KERS on our long run in the afternoon. The boys did very well. They put a new floor, changed the set-up and then the car felt much better from then on. It was a shame the gearbox had some overheating issue in Melbourne. The team decided to avoid all the risks of DNF in the race, so they decided to change it before P3. Obviously, that meant a penalty of loosing 5 places in the grid. The car was very good in the qualifying. I made a mistake in the final run in Q3 while exiting the corner. We lost there some time, so it could have been better than fifth, forth or even third. I felt the speed was there in the car. Obviously, it was a good car to qualify! The race was one of those typical gambles in the torrial rain of the tropic. For me it was my debut with the rain tyres. While the lights went off, I had to take it easy, because I simply didn¹t know how the tyres are behaving. Obviously, we had done only one installation lap before with the wet tyre, so we didn¹t even know how to adjust the front wing for the wet race. But, the start went ok, actually we managed to gain a few places, but then there was an incident with a couple of cars in front of me, so I had to go to the grass again like in Australia to avoid them. I lost some places, but we made it through the first lap, any way. The car was good. After the safety-car situation I was behind Vettel. We could easily follow the Red Bull and we were faster in some places, they were faster in some other places. It was too tricky to try to pass him, so we just sat there and waited for the track to dry up. The rest of the race with slicks was more or less like keeping the P5. We could have go faster, but it became so dark, it was very difficult to see where are wet pots in the track. So it was better to seal the position and not to take too many risks. Now we have 16 points. It¹s better than nothing, but it could have been better. The best feeling is coming from the car. Obviously, we will get some new parts for the next race in China, so it should keep us competitive in Shanghai, too.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM

Kimi's Column: Kimi Australian review and Malaysian preview

The heat is on! It¹s signed, sealed and delivered with the Australian Grand Prix. Right now I¹m trying to get grips with the next challenge here in the hot and humid equatorial climate of Malaysia. Obviously, it was very nice and rewarding to open the season with some good points. Honestly, I didn¹t know that much what to expect from the first race weekend after two years¹ break. We got a good feeling in the car since the day one in Jerez, but you never know exactly how competitive the new equipment is compared to other new cars. Well, now we know ­ a little bit, at least. I always felt I could make a return to Grand Prix racing, but, I can confess now, I got some good answers to my own minor doubts how quickly you can adapt the racing rhythm after being away for some time. The speed is there. That¹s ok. The car is good. That¹s ok, as well. Some issues were to be improved, especially in the qualifying routine. I knew already before going to Melbourne, that it takes some time to get everything together in the best way with all the new things there are with tactical and mechanical part of the whole qualifying prosedure. On Saturday I wasn¹t happy at all. We had some issues that put as in a very poor situation to start the race. All in all, I¹ve got a perfect start from the line and, obviously, it could have been very good for the race. But the first corner mess-up with some cars took my advantage away, I had to back-off and we had to build up again the race to reach the TOP-10. The first set of tyres didn¹t feel that good, but then I saw the other people having even more problems with them, so I just sat back and went for it. It was quite tricky to get past the cars. The DRS doesn¹t help that much in Albert Park-like circuit and while I was battling against Saubers, they were too strong coming out of the last corner, where the DRS zones started. The safety-car situation didn¹t help, as well. I¹ve got a set of brand new tyres, but after the race re-started, it was very difficult to get them working properly. Finally everything went well. We got some places back in the last lap and I was quite satisfield finishing seventh in that first race. As a team we know, we have a solid and consistent car to work with. It¹s nice to have a race again this week. Sepang is the place with some nice memories for me, while we won a Malaysian Grand Prix both with McLaren and Ferrari. The heat is a little bit too much, but it¹s the same for everybody. I just sit back again, put my head down and try to get the best out of the car and myself, too. The heat is on!

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM

Kimi's Column: A GOOD JOB WASTED

Kimi Rallye de France review in Finnish

The rally in France left a bad taste in my mouth. It became our shortest rally this year, it stopped already the first day and we only got to drive two stages.

It bugged that it went that way. The roads would have been pretty cool. Even the notes succeeded well. But what can you do.

The crucial point was the transition route from the second to the third stage. We were before Henning Solberg in the starting order but he was there in front of us. He warmed his tyres and brakes, spinned the steering wheel and then he hit the brakes. He just stopped suddenly in front of us. He didn't look at the mirrors at all so there was nothing we could do.

We hit his rear end. Solberg's car only got some cosmetic scratches but we got so substantial damages in our front that there was nothing else for us to do but stop the rally right there. It was a short trip to France. Oh well, I haven't experienced anything like this before. It just happens in motorsport.

Now we look forward to Spain. We had a test before so that we got the car a little better again. We didn't learn much from there last year so for us it's like a completely new rally.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM
Courtesy: Nicole

Kimi's Column: Just cruisin’

Kimi Rally Germany review

Well, it was a rally just to cruise around. We’ve got position six and, obviously, some nice points. But it doesn’t change anything. I have no reason to be satisfied with my driving in this first WRC rally on tarmac this year.

It was our very first tarmac rally with this car. There were a few things to try. Obviously, we hoped to have dry weather, while we had not tested a single mile in the rain.

But, everything went wrong. We didn’t get it right since the beginning of the rally. There were some dark clouds coming while we started the rally, but we had to take the harder tyre while there was no data from the other options.

First special stage was still dry, but we had a spin in the third corner. After that I struggled to find the right rhytm to my driving. Then the next stage was fully wet, puddles all over the place. Then it was just a case of slipping and sliding – like the others with wrong choice of tyres in the car.

In the afternoon the roads were dry, but once we went wide and hit the fence. It was that heavy shunt, but enough to bend the door. We had to stop. I had to untie my belt and then try to shut the door. It was not possible to shut it properly, so, obviously, I had to keep it closed, but in every corner, it opened widely.

It was not nice, I can tell you now.

Then we improved on Saturday. The long stages in army area went better and better. We managed to climb a few places. But, all in all, I never had as good feeling as I had in Rally Finland for the last day.

Just a few stages went ok. But there were so many that didn’t go that well. That’s why I cannot be satisfied with this rally. At least we finished and got P6. That’s never too bad a result.

Obviously, there were a lot of punctures. We got our share of it. Obviously, we didn’t loose places because of it, but it was the most annoying moment, while the tyre got a puncture in the beginning of the power stage on Sunday.

Now we have had six rallies, finished every time and got points. I feel we have advanced since last year quite nicely. Hopefully we got some good rallies more this year. The next challenge for us is to improve in France from last year’s perfomance.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM
Courtesy: _TaniaS_

Kimi's Column: The last day's speed the best

Kimi Rally Finland review in Finnish 2011

That was my third Jyskälä. I got 9th position and first WC-points from my home race. The weekend was okay, but once again it became clear that it's a difficult rally, seriously, it's one of the most difficult rallies.

We had a tricky start. We took it a bit too carefully. I couldn't find the rythm, no matter what. Then at the last day it started to go well. In the morning the times were probably the best we have got the whole year. I'm sure that the pace was more or less the pace we have at this point.

Then the racing stopped on the second Leustu SS.

There was a rock in the track. The wing's bottom hit there. The car jumped a bit, we spinned and there was somekind of a fence. First we thought it had only touched, but that's where it halted. The rear touched and the front hit the fence.

After that we didn't have a wing anymore, and when there's no wing the air goes straight under the car. Since the front bumper didn't work, there was nothing we could do in the corners because the front is taking off all the time, in every direction. All air goes underneath and and twists the rear tyre.

Without this fuss we would probably had been a few positions better in the endresults. We would have gone past Henning Solberg. But it's nothing. This time it just went like this.

I'm totally satisfied with the last day, we tried to even drive. It felt at once that we are in ok speed.

Now we have done five rallies this year and finished and scored points each time. You get good vibes when you feel that every rally has gone better than last year.

Now we go from gravel to tarmac. We test a couple of days in Germany and are better prepared for Germany's rally in a few weeks.

We haven't drove at all on tarmac with this car. In testing we will see how it goes, but usually these Citroens have been quite good on tarmac roads.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM
Courtesy: Nicole

Kimi's Column: TOUGHEST RALLY, NO BLUNDERS

Kimi Rally de Portugal review in Finnish

Just like we remembered to begin with, Portugal is a difficult rally. When the stages are difficult the challenges are spectacular. Yet we could drive for three days without blunders. It left us with good feelings and we got yet again more points.

Now we have two rallies from this season under our belt and we have kept the car on the road. In Portugal the consistency, somekind of evenness, was found. In that sense it's good to look ahead. When you can drive a rally like this cleanly, then you can little by little start to lift the pace too.

To begin with our setups were completely *** No swearing ***-up. The team made a small mistake and the car was pretty much in wrong setups. We discovered it on Friday and on Saturday we got immediately more trust in the driving when the car started working the way it should have worked after the tests.

From there on I got a good feeling to drive whereas on Friday we were completley in the blue thinking what was wrong with it. Oh well, it was the car.

On Friday the air disappeared hastily from the tyre. So we drove that stage with an empty ragged wheel to the finish line and lost time there. The rally as a whole was okay and the result was okay. I should have drove completely super in order to battle for a better position.

At least we learned more about the car again. The routine comes from feeling the car. Sometimes I'm completely satisfied with my driving, sometimes not. I have noticed one thing though, the more I drive rally, the less situations.

That's how it should be too, so that we can try and drive faster.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM
Courtesy: Nicole

Kimi's Column: Closer to the front runners

Kimi's Swedish Rally review 2011

It was great fun to get back racing, again and it was nice to get grips with the new car.

The weekend was quite OK. We didn¹t have any major problems, actually it was pretty much an easy-going rally for us in very tricky circumstances.

We seem to get closer to the front runners. Still they go very quick, but comparing the stage times we are not that much behind anymore. Obviously, it¹s still a learning curve for me and we have still a lot of things to do.

We finished the rally and the result is ok. We got some good points for me and Kaj and we got some good points to our ICE1 RACING team, too. The team did good job. We are still learning from the car, but it¹s nice to drive. That's the main thing for now.

Before the first rally we had only one day for testing. While the car felt good, still the race is the race and when the you got very challenging and changeable weather, you have use some time to train in the first place.

I can tell you, it was quite difficult. We spun and then we had a puncture, which cost us some time. But after that everything went well. I felt relaxed, the driving itself felt easy and we got some good stage times without pushing too much.

It's nice feeling while you don't have to wipe off the sweat from your forehead and sigh huh-huh, we managed to get the special stage through. I'm quite satisfied how we went the whole rally. It felt very normal driving all the time.

Obviously, there is much to learn. Still I have to focus more on the pace notes. There were not that many places we had it wrong, but there were some, we had to change before going there for the second time. If you get it wrong, it's always a very tricky task to keep the car on the road. It's challenging to work with pace notes. That¹s for sure.

Every time, after the rally, you feel you could have gone faster. But most importantly, I have learned more and improved from last year. Let's wait and see, how we go in the next few rallies.

Sweden was a good start for the season. The next rally for us is Portugal. Before that we have a test. Now it's time to start working to go well on gravel, too.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM

Kimi Swedish Rally review in Finnish

It felt cool to get to drive again after a long time and it was great to get a feeling to the new car. It was an okay weekend. We didn't face any bigger griefs at any moment.

It looks like we are closer to the top. It's good since it means we have gone forward again. We do however know that we still have a lot to do.

We got to test the new car only for a day. Okay, the car felt good but when you have a race with difficult conditions right from the beginning, the start was only training for us. It was quite tricky when we spun and got a puncture just like that when driving in the track.

After that it started to go well. The driving was easy and the times came easily especially during the second round in the afternoon when I found a good laidbackness.

Of course we are still in the stage of learning. I have to pay even more attention to the notes. There weren't many corners that went wrong but there was a place that needed to be changed. If a situation like that comes up then it has always been tough to keep the car on the road. I just have to look more carefully at the notes in the future.

In Sweden our spinnings limited to that one spot on Friday. After that I didn't have to wipe sweat after the stage thinking "whew that we managed to finish it". I'm fairly satisfied when we got to drive a completely normal drive to the finish.

After the race you are always left with a feeling that it could have gone better. But it's cool when you have already learned something and improved from the earlier times.

Let's just now see how the continuance goes.

The result is okay. I got points home and good points for our team. The gang did a good job and the car felt nice to drive all the time. It's quick and a bit smaller than last year's car. It kind of suits me better.

It's good to start the new season from here. Next rally will then be in Portugal and before that we will go testing to see how the car behaves with gravel setups.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM
Courtesy: Nicole

formula1.ferrari.com publishes Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 2010 Season Review Part III

formula1.ferrari.com publishes the 2010 season review, a "virtual book", which can be downloaded to relive the entire 2010 season, with the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro as a main protagonist in an exciting Championship, with an exceptional recovery and an unfortunately missed victory.

Six chapters around the 2010 World Championship with wins, difficult moments, the epilogue in Abu Dhabi and further sections dedicated to technical in-depth articles. 28 drawings by Giorgio Piola with virtual animations of the F10's various components, four specials about the most important issues of the season such as pit stop and new rules, also explained in a video by Marc Gené, the complicated logistical aspects and the celebration of the 800th Grand Prix for Ferrari. A detailed section with a list from 1950 until today concludes the review, with Formula 1 models Ferrari used in the pinnacle of motorsports since the beginning of the F1 Championship.

Over 120 extraordinary images and more than 25 parts with multimedia content on the different pages, enriching the texts in the sections turning reading into real pleasure. The protagonists statements are combined with comments from the fans, who followed and supported the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro during the whole season in the Communitys forum as well as on Facebook and via Twitter.

After the first and the second part, today is online the third, wich will complete the 2010 Championship review.

Source: Ferrari.com

formula1.ferrari.com publishes Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 2010 Season Review Part 2

formula1.ferrari.com publishes the 2010 season review, a "virtual book", which can be downloaded to relive the entire 2010 season, with the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro as a main protagonist in an exciting Championship, with an exceptional recovery and an unfortunately missed victory.

Six chapters around the 2010 World Championship with wins, difficult moments, the epilogue in Abu Dhabi and further sections dedicated to technical in-depth articles. 28 drawings by Giorgio Piola with virtual animations of the F10's various components, four specials about the most important issues of the season such as pit stop and new rules, also explained in a video by Marc Gené, the complicated logistical aspects and the celebration of the 800th Grand Prix for Ferrari. A detailed section with a list from 1950 until today concludes the review, with Formula 1 models Ferrari used in the pinnacle of motorsports since the beginning of the F1 Championship.

Over 120 extraordinary images and more than 25 parts with multimedia content on the different pages, enriching the texts in the sections turning reading into real pleasure. The protagonists statements are combined with comments from the fans, who followed and supported the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro during the whole season in the Communitys forum as well as on Facebook and via Twitter.

After last week's first chapter, as of today the second part is online, which will be followed by the third and last part, completing the 2010 Championship review.

Source: Ferrari.com

Kimi’s Column: Tricky season, but great fun

Review 2010

Well, the rally season 2010 is over. It was a tough year. Trying to learn the WRC car and eleven completely new rallies during the season was a huge challenge for a rookie like me. But it was a great fun, too.

I liked the new experience very much, indeed. It was as difficult as we could expect, but I have all but negative feelings going though it.

It was a season full of ups and downs. There were some good times, there were some bad times. But that’s how it usually goes in the world of motor sports. Obviously, there were some people expecting us to make miracles after a couple of first rallies. But, in the end of the day, there was no reason to wait for more from this rookie season of mine.

We finished the last rally in Wales. It feels good every time you finish a race. The Rally of Britain was a truly challenging one. We’ve got storm, rain, ice-slippery roads, no sight ahead from time to time. It was an adventure and to finish it with some points was a nice finish for this WRC season.

It was also the end of an era for these WRC cars. They are really great cars and it was a privilege to have a season with them, too.

Obviously, the season offered many different kind of rally roads. The tarmac doesn’t mean tarmac like it is in Formula One. It’s only semi-tarmac every time, while there is so much gravel and dirt on the road. Coming in as from circuit racing the only real asphalts were those short show stages in the cities.

The RedBull Citroen WRC team keeps winning the championships. They are true professionals in and out. You have to give the highest note for them every time for their effort.

Now it’s time for a break. I chill out with friends and my family like I usually do in this time of the year. I’ll keep training and keep having fun in motor racing. The Christmas time is coming and I plan to spend that peaceful period at home, like always.

For the next year we continue talking to people. When we have something signed and sealed, we tell you.

Thank you all fans for the support and wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. The race goes on 2011.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM
Courtesy:_TaniaS_

formula1.ferrari.com publishes Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 2010 Season Review

Maranello, 24 November - formula1.ferrari.com publishes the 2010 season review, a "virtual book", which can be downloaded to relive the entire 2010 season, with the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro as a main protagonist in an exciting Championship, with an exceptional recovery and an unfortunately missed victory.

Six chapters around the 2010 World Championship with wins, difficult moments, the epilogue in Abu Dhabi and further sections dedicated to technical in-depth articles. 28 drawings by Giorgio Piola with virtual animations of the F10's various components, four specials about the most important issues of the season such as pit stop and new rules, also explained in a video by Marc Gené, the complicated logistical aspects and the celebration of the 800th Grand Prix for Ferrari. A detailed section with a list from 1950 until today concludes the review, with Formula 1 models Ferrari used in the pinnacle of motorsports since the beginning of the F1 Championship.

Over 120 extraordinary images and more than 25 parts with multimedia content on the different pages, enriching the texts in the sections turning reading into real pleasure. The protagonists statements are combined with comments from the fans, who followed and supported the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro during the whole season in the Communitys forum as well as on Facebook and via Twitter. As of today the review's first part is online, followed by the other issues covered in upcoming sections, completing the 2010 Championship review.

Source: Ferrari.com

F1 - 2010 Red Bull Racing season review with Vettel, Webber and Horner

Source: NextegenAutoVideos

Kimi's Column: SAYONARA!

Kimi Rally Japan review in Finnish

I would never claim that the rally in Japan is easy but in the end it wasn't the world's toughest either. The route was challenging and the roads were really narrow at times. It was cool to run it.

We just went off the road. My blunder, can't help it. It happened during the last note, I got it a bit wrong and it was immediately sayonara. We came a bit too fast to the corner and I couldn't get it back on the road and so we fell quietly into the bushes.

Because there wasn't a soul in the landscape we couldn't get out of there, just me and Kaitsu.

It was the second retirement this season and I didn't get all the kilometers under my belt. Of course it bugs me and it bugs because I could have taken that corner more easily. It just hurts everytime in rally when you make a small mistake. On F1-tracks you are always forgiven more.

The starting position was tricky because we went straight on gravel after Rally Germany. We had no testing so it had some affect when we first took care of the super special stage in the stadium and went after that to run on the dirt roads in the forest.

Technical problems in the beginning are annoying. The machines just refused to gallop so we couldn't really get anywhere when the car didn't work like it should have worked. After we found the right setups it started to show in the stagetimes too.

We just didn't make it to the finish line. What was important was that we drove until the last day and collected again some experience from a different rally. When you are in this game you just have to get used to the fact that everything can happen. It's after all the number 1 -thing in this learning year.

The next rally is in France then. Others haven't drove there either and because it's a tarmac rally it's of course a more familiar surface to me than these Sapporo's forest paths are. It's good to get some testing at this point so that we get a better feeling of the rally.

It will be my 4th rally on tarmac with a WRC-car. I have the same goals.

The most important thing is to finish the rally and avoid the bigger blunders.

Source: KimiRaikkonen.com
Courtesy: Nicole

Kimi's Column: Fastest stage time and some points

Kimi German Rally Review

For sure, it’s a nice spice of this sport every single rally being so different from each other.

Obviously I didn’t have a clue what to expect from German Rally. In the end of the day it did not have that much to do with the real tarmac rallies. The roads were very dirty and some parts we had on gravel, too.

The main thing for us was to finish the rally. We did that, we got all the important miles eith the race speed plus we got more points to our total, too.

Once again I learn more of rally driving. We made a couple of mistakes and you cannot change that afterwards. I have to learn everything by myself and while making a mistake you always learn the most.

Before the rally many people asked me how much easier it is for me to have a rally on asphalt after racing in circuits for such a long time. Well, I can tell you, it’s not that huge advantage for me in rallies on tarmac. In Germany it felt great to go fast there. The roads were narrow and you have keep the focus at the peak all the time.

It was not easy. No question about that. Again, I had to search the right rythm in the beginning.

This is a very challenging rally and good for us, it’s over and done. Well, I made two mistakes on Sunday morning and because of that, Wilson managed to pass us and got the position six. I had a bad feeling for some time for loosing some points, but all in all, it’s important to keep on going with the patience and remember that making mistakes belongs to the process of learning rallies.

The pace notes worked quite well. The was no problem with that side it felt nice.

This was my third ever tarmarc rally with this Red Bull Citroen C4 car and my second WRC asphalt rally. I’m satisfied with gaining a lot of more experience from the asphalt rally driving. Im also happy for gaining my first ever fastesr stage timr in WRC rallies. I don’t know how much the top guys slowed it down in the last stage, but for a racing driver, the fastest time is always the fastest time.

Now we have a short break again. The nest rally in calendar is Japan and we don’t have any test before that. Obviously Japan will be very difficult for me as a rookie. I have heard that those stages are quite tricky.

But we keep on trying to do our best and let’s wait and see, what kind of speed we find there. Once again my target is to finish that rally, too.

Source: Kimiraikkonen.com

Kimi's Column: ONE DITCH TOO MUCH

Kimi Rally Finland review in Finnish

We finished the rally. We got the kilometers we had set for our target but didn't take the points. It bugs because there were a few small misses and we couldn't stay in the bunch of ten until up to Saturday morning.

I have to say that Jyskälä is a great rally. I can't but congratulate the Finnish rally fans.

This is a rally country and the whole gang was fully with us alongside the roads starting from six in the morning. It gives you a great feeling to drive with a support like that.

I have never got so much support anywhere else and I'm sure all the other Finnish drivers think exactly the same way.

The new format worked well. We drove for two days from morning to evening. I thought it was a successful trial. It felt completely different than it has felt in other races.

I have to say that it's cool to run a fast rally like this with a decent machine. These are great cars. We enjoyed every stage "100" when there's twisting and power to push, the chassis works and the brakes are top class.

It was difficult in the beginning. We didn't really get into the rhythm. We tried different settings before we got the setup to fall in place and set some good SS-times after that. There was a good twist too when we got to race against Kankkunen's Juha for the 7th position. The age isn't weighing him down, that's for sure. He went that fast.

Of course you are never completely satisfied with any stage but there was a few after which we could smile for a reason.

Then Kolonkulma on Saturday morning just went wrong. The car slided on the morning stage to a ditch in a corner turning to the right. We didn't go terribly fast but it was a deep ditch and the car got stuck. We tried to get it up by using the gas but only managed to break the front. Luckily there was enough gang so that we got help to get back on the road.

After that we had to do some tyre work because we only had one spare tyre. One tyre was completely wasted but the other one could be put back on the rim.

We jumped on it for a while and got to continue our journey.

Congratulations to the fan who is somewhere dragging the Citroen bumper as a souvenir.

It went well since we could continue. After the service we got all the pieces back. The rest went well. We got important kilometers of the rally pace both for the car and the dude.

It was great that we got a Finnish winner in Finland's WRC-rally. It means a lot to the rally people.

Now we will change from gravel back to tarmac. We will test in Germany next weekend and after that we are ready for the next challenge. Let's see how it hits in Germany.

Source: Kimiraikkonen.com
Courtesy: Nicole

Kimi Portugal Rally Review

One Point and lots of happening

It was exactly how we expected it would be: The Rally de Portugal was as tricky as the Rally of Jordan.We got the right information. I guess, these two are the most difficult rallies in the calender.

We finished the rally in Jordan and we managed to finish the in the rally in Portugal as well. Now we got some points from three sucessive races. It's ok result, but, obviously, it could have e little bit better in Portugal.

We had P8 in our hands, but we then had few problems, lost a lot of time and finally we were happy to finish the rally in sunday. Tha puncture on sunday morning was an annoying experience, but shit happens. It's a part of motor racing and it happens to all for us sometimes.

Right in the beginning we lost time, while we went out of the road and had push the car back using the reserve. Then on Sunday morning the feeling in the car was better and better, I cut a corner too fast and we had a big moment on two wheels, Well, we were lucky. I didn't roll over and it came back. After that it was a just question to bring car home.

It was like in every rally that the surface changes radically, while you do the stage for a second time. Obviously, it was very difficult route all the way long and the changes, they were even bigger compared to other places.

The gap to the top guys is huge, but there is nothing surprising in that. We have know since the very beginning of this season, that the front runners are very, very quick. You have to have a lot confidence in your car and a lot kilometres in rally to match with them.

Now there is a new winner in WRC rally. Ogier is a really strong rally driver and deserved his first victory after coming so close already in New Zealand. Obviously, I remember well how nice feeling I've got after winning my first Formula One Grand Prix in Malaysia back in 2003. It's always a special thing for a racing driver.

Now we head for the Lanterna Rally in Italy. We got an opportunity to have some training on tarmac before the next WRC rally in Bulgaria in july.

After that I will keenly watch the football world cup and some other sports, while we have some weeks to chill out.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM

Kimi's Turkish Rally review: Simply The Best Rally

There is no reason to jump in the air with joy, but, obviously, this is the best feeling I have had since starting my new career in WRC. We got a nice ten points from the Turkish weekend. The whole team was very happy with the job we managed to do.

Well, once again we proved that our simple target - finish, finish, finish – suits us fine. When we managed to finish the rally, we are also able to get a good result.

In some stages it was mainly the question to go very cautiously. Especially in the last stage it was very tricky to find the right speed. It was slippery like on ice. I pushed and Kaj did the braking on me. Once again it was working well and we kept the car on the road until the very finish. Fifth place in the Turkish Rally was more than we could have hoped before going for it.

It was a difficult rally, as I said. Even the big boys made mistakes. Mikko Hirvonen hit the stone, while he started to push harder and some top guys had even more costly errors.

Obviously, the TOP-5 are in a league of their own. But we were the best in the second division. I was the center forward of the second line-up, if you want to describe it with ice hockey terms.

It’s no use to make a big deal of it. I just enjoy this moment. The next rally will be totally different and a new challenge for us all.

The Turkish Rally is absolutely the best rally I’ve done during my short WRC career. No doubt about it.

It was a new place for every driver. Nobody knew the roads before and as a WRC rookie, I’ve got a certain advantage in comparison to the top guys, while none of them hadn’t done the roads 5-10 times before.

Now there is no need to think of, what is the gap to the top we have, while going to a place where nobody has raced before. That’s something we know better after the this weekend and that gives us more confidence going to other new places – like Bulgaria on July.

All the time I have better feeling also with the car. It’s getting better and better every time and it feels also easier to drive. This time we had some stages on tarmac, too. Well, it was still early days to try to get used to the grip levels and we used the gravel tyres and gravel set-up, too. So it’s useless to get too involved in details at this stage.

Now we have a break, because I’m not going to New Zealand. But it’s not a holiday time. I have some work to do. Hopefully we get the cars back to the factory as soon as possible. I’ll be starting to focus on my next rally in Portugal with some testing before.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM

Kimi Jordan Rally Review: The toughest race of my career

If I would be an icehockey star, I would say that finishing the Jordan rally in points felt like getting rid of a monkey away from my shoulder. O’boy, it gave a great feeling for me. For sure, it was the toughest race of my life. We managed to finish it and it was perfect to get the first points of the season at the same time.

My friend Teemu Selanne has sometimes told me, how special feeling it is to score a goal after some games without getting any. Now I know, how it must feel for him. To get everything right in the Jordan rally, gave us a big relief. While you try and try your very best and you finally succeed, obviously, you’ll be happy.

Me and Kaj Lindstrom, my co-driver, shared the same great feeling on Saturday after finishing the rally without any mistakes of our own. That was the first waypoint we had to achieve before setting any other targets.

It was very hot place, indeed. But it was quite surprising that it didn’t feel that bad inside the car. Actually, it felt even a little bit ‘cool’.

It was the toughest rally I ever done and we drove the longest special stage I ever had before – 41,5 km twice. That was so long, I started to think, if it’s an ever lasting oroad. But finishing it finally, gave the best of the feelings. In the end of the day, it was a great stage, no doubt of it!

It was a difficult rally, but we eventually achieved our objective. It was great job from all the team. I’m feeling more and more comfortable in the Citroen C4 WRC every day.

This is not a solitary sport. We have been working hard with Kaj Lindstrom and without him I would never have learned this rally racing as quickly as we did. Kaj is working flat out. I’m grateful for him and I hope we share the good moments like in Jordan as soon as possible again.

The whole team was happy. The team bosses were all smiles. Personally I felt good the get a better feeling with the car on the gravel.

Obviously, I’m looking forward for the next rally of Turkey. It’s exciting to see how we go in the next rally in Instanbul.

Now it’s time for a short break and rest. Then it’s back to business. After some work out in the gym we go next week to Turkey and start there again from zero.

Source: kimiraikkonen.com