Räikkönen is training with full steam

The speculations in the world about the comeback of Kimi Räikkönen to F1-tracks would at least not fall short on the physical side.

Mark Arnall who has for the last nine years taken care of Räikkönen's physics and wellbeing, knows what F1 demands from the physics and what rally demands from the physics. He assures that Räikkönen is in a good condition.

– In rally you don't need as intensive training as F1-driving demands. That's why the programs are slightly different.

– Kimi raced all the time and trained accordingly. Kimi is a sportsman who likes to train and doesn't try to skip it, Arnall tells 'suspicious judges'.

– Generally speaking anybody who has sometimes been in the prime of their life, they never have to start from scratch again in order to lift up their physical condition to a higher level.

Arnall knows what he is talking about. He has a wide experience from working with sportsmen from different genres.

– When I was in Surrey University there was also Allan Wells, 100 meter sprinter who won Gold in the Olympics in 1980. When our paths crossed I worked with Allan although he wasn't running any longer. Allan is not a young man anymore but he is still in excellent condition. If a physical condition has been taken care of the right way, then it's valuable.

Different driving position, different strain

Räikkönen left F1 two years ago in November 2009.

– The biggest difference between F1- and rally-driving is the driving position and how different muscles are strained, Arnall compares.

– Generally speaking training in F1 compared to rally differs because of it's intensity. A F1-driver has to always be in a really good stitch. Hence rally is in a certain way easier for the body than F1 is.

– If Kimi would go back to a F1-car, then the biggest work would be the process of strenghtening his neck muscles. He hasn't had that for two years. His neck muscles aren't the same as they were during his F1-season.

– However it's not a question of them not being restored. The situation is the same as when a F1-driver has a three months break between the seasons. When you go back to the winter testing the neck is always sore after the first day. You can't really train the neck muscles other than by driving. You get those muscles only by driving.

– Endurance, strenght and muscles will come back. Kimi has all along been training with the mindset of someday driving in F1 again. I can assure that he is in a good condition, Arnall emphasizes.

Turun Sanomat, Salou

HEIKKI KULTA

Courtesy: Nicole

Did Japan change Kimi's mind?

By Oskari Saari

Call me oldfashioned but I still have a few principles in my job. One of them is, unlike some of my colleagues have, not to claim having some 'inside information' when I haven't. I emphasize that the following text is more or less speculation.

After the disclaimer I must immediately ask why Kimi Räikkönen's name jumped up like a blobber again in the F1-speculations?

I disagree with Lauri Hollo who writes in his blog that every statement is twisted and turned into Kimi's possible comeback. Usually this is the case. Not this time. Now it's serious. Räikkönen's manager has admitted having discussions with Renault. Renault on the other hand has confirmed it.

Why now? Didn't Kimi just recently say as straight as one can say without saying: I've seen F1. I believe that Räikkönen didn't go to rally for only one year to begin with. All the side remarks about winning the championship in rally indicated that.

What if he has had enough of it in Japan? Räikkönen has drove off quite many times and the offs have not been under any top speed. Even though he has the talent for rally also, was it enough for Kimi? Did Räikkönen think that his pace will never be fast enough to stay up with Loeb, Latvala and Hirvonen?

Another theory: What if the co-driver has had enough?

Did the experienced co-driver Kaj Lindström get bored with getting a sore neck in almost every rally? Maybe with Kaitsu's age the job isn't that important anymore. What if he has got some remarks from his home frontier? Don't imagine even for a moment that human matters wouldn't influence in these things.

The third and most interesting theory: Did Red Bull get enough?

Helmut Marko's comments about Red Bull not getting market-wise what they wanted from Räikkönen's rally project would indicate that. What does it mean?

- If there is some sporting success then the market value is also in place. These things go hand in hand, Marko commented.

One might interpret the comment so that Red Bull doesn't want to put money in Kimi's team seat. In rally.

I predict that the next speculation will be Kimi's comeback to F1 especially to Red Bull. In F1 Kimi is a certain successor if the car is even nearly to his liking.

I see Räikkönen's comeback to F1 even more probable than a week ago. I hope Kimi returns. I still don't fully believe in it.

What about the other Finn's continuance who has also has been under Renault-speculation? I guess that Heikki Kovalainen's continuance in Lotus will be announced in Singapore. And it isn't necessarily any bad option in the long run.

At the moment there are two Finns applying for Renault's seat. That is a fact, no matter what Hollo says. On the other hand my wife is from Turku so maybe my perspective is twisted.

Source: MTV3
Courtesy: Nicole