WRC - Kimi Raikkonen

Posted on 2/1/2011, 15:26 by: Ice Lady87

Raikkonen: WRC made me better driver

By David Evans Sunday, January 2nd 2011, 10:15 GMT

Kimi Raikkonen says his season in the World Rally Championship has made him a better driver.

The former Formula 1 world champion had only competed on one WRC round prior to the start of this year and he says his rookie season with the Citroen Junior Rally Team has taught him a huge amount.

"For sure I have improved as a driver this season," said Raikkonen. "Rallying is a lot harder than F1, certainly for me. If you can drive on some of the roads we did this year, you can drive anywhere."

Raikkonen also admitted he had considered a return to F1, adding: "Of course I thought about it, because you think about everything.

"But I never really thought seriously about it, because actually I didn't miss Formula 1 at all this season.

"Before the start of this year I thought it would be interesting to see if I missed it at all, and in fact I didn't.

"On balance, this year has been pretty much as I expected. There have been good bits and bad bits, and on the whole it's been really tough with a lot of learning. In some ways it reminds me of the very first years when I was starting out in racing: it was a little bit the same feeling."

Raikkonen ended the season 10th after contesting 12 of the 13 rallies in a C4 WRC.

Source: autosport

Tags:: WRC

Comments: 0 | Views: 35

Last Post by: Ice Lady87 (2/1/2011, 15:26)

Tricky season, but great fun

Posted on 29/11/2010, 21:36 by: Ice Lady87

Tricky season, but great fun

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.

Tags:: WRC

Comments: 0 | Views: 178

Last Post by: Ice Lady87 (29/11/2010, 21:36)

Kimi's end of year report

Posted on 20/11/2010, 18:04 by: Ice Lady87

Kimi's end of year report.by Anthony Peacock
on Nov 20, 2010

At the end of his first season of World Championship rallying with Red Bull, we caught up with Kimi Räikkönen to find out his best memories. There are lots of things that will stick in his mind forever from this year – including sand, public transport, shopping centres and the Pope. Eclectic enough for you? Then read on…

Kimi, how has this year been for you?
On balance, it’s been pretty much as I expected. There have been good bits and bad bits, and on the whole it’s been really tough with a lot of learning. In some ways it reminds me of the very first years when I was starting out in racing: it was a little bit the same feeling.

'I thought it would be interesting to see if I missed F1 at all and in fact I didn’t'

What was your favourite rally of the year?
That’s a tough one, a really tough one as all the rallies were so different. But actually I liked Bulgaria as straight away we were in the top four there and it was nice to fight closer to the front, which is not something that we were really expecting to do. Britain was a good rally too: not so much for the result but for the stages.

Was the Rally of Spain, where you crashed in the shakedown, the biggest disappointment of the year?
Yes I suppose so, but actually it’s not something that I’ve really thought about much since it happened because there’s no point. It’s over, it’s history and there’s no point in imagining what might have been. That’s how I’ve always dealt with things and I’m not going to change now.

Did you ever think about going back to Formula One next year?
Of course I thought about it, because you think about everything. But I never really thought seriously about it, because actually I didn’t miss Formula One at all this season. Before the start of this year I thought it would be interesting to see if I missed it at all and in fact I didn’t.

Citroën Sport Photos

So does that mean that you are staying in rallying next year?
It means that I’d like to. But for the moment we haven’t got a deal sorted.

What are the moments you are going to remember most, apart from just driving the car?
There were lots of things that happened that I think everyone in our team will remember. In Jordan we scored our first points and ended up covered in sand. In Turkey, there was the problem with the ash cloud and all our team had to go home to France by coach for three days. We drove a go-kart in a shopping mall in Japan; then in Portugal we did this road show in Faro, where we had almost the same number of people that had come to see the Pope the week before. So there are...

Read the whole post...

Tags:: 2010,; WRC

Comments: 0 | Views: 56

Last Post by: Ice Lady87 (20/11/2010, 18:04)

Raikkonen: Tough season was expected

Posted on 8/11/2010, 17:30 by: Ice Lady87

Raikkonen: Tough season was expected

By David Evans Monday, November 8th 2010, 12:58 GMT

Kimi Raikkonen has admitted he expected his rookie season to be as tough as it has been in the World Rally Championship.

The former Formula 1 world champion has crashed his Citroen C4 WRC regularly this season - ending his last WRC outing with a shakedown roll before the event had even begun.

Raikkonen said: "Our season has not gone entirely according to plan, but this is actually what I expected: it's completely normal when you are learning something so new."

Despite the accident, Raikkonen has been one of the talking points of this year's series and his team manager Benoit Nogier is adamant the best of Raikkonen has not been seen yet.

"He is still learning," said Nogier. "Don't forget this is still his first year and he is still doing the events for the first time. Even next year, if he stays - and we want him to stay, he will still be learning, but it will be a little bit less hard."

Raikkonen says he has no regrets about his shift from the Ferrari Formula 1 team, adding: "Rallying is like a national sport in Finland: since I was a kid I followed it and I grew up with all these big names who were right at the front.

"So rallying is something that I always wanted to try: it was not at all a sudden decision. At the end of last year the opportunity came up so I was very happy to take it. And I've really enjoyed it."

Raikkonen also gave his strongest indication yet that he will remain in the WRC, adding: 'Not so many people get the chance to compete at this level and I want to use all the lessons I have learned this year."

Raikkonen's final outing of the season comes on Rally GB later this week, with the Cardiff-based event providing another first.

"I'm sure that Rally Great Britain is going to be a very tricky way to end the season because I hear that the grip is changing all the time and I know that the weather is going to be bad," said Raikkonen. "But you learn more by pushing yourself to the limit. I'm looking forward to it a lot.
Source: autosport

Tags:: WRC

Comments: 0 | Views: 41

Last Post by: Ice Lady87 (8/11/2010, 17:30)

Loeb suspects: Can Kimi reach the absolute top?

Posted on 17/9/2010, 16:18 by: Ice Lady87

Loeb suspects: Can Kimi reach the absolute top?

Sébastien Loeb will evaluate Kimi Räikkönen in tomorrow's Vauhdin Maailma.

Loeb admires Räikkönen but he asks him a tricky question.

- He did a very brave decision when switching over to rally but can he reach the absolute top?

Loeb also gives Räikkönen advice how Kimi can reach the top in rally too.

- He is inexperienced in rally but he can drive a car. He just has to learn how to analyze the roads.

- He needs time but everything is possible.

Loeb also analyzes the other Finnish drivers.

- It's hard to say if Mikko Hirvonen has what it takes to win the championship. In order to do that you need a good driver, a good car and a good team.

Jari-Matti Latvala on the other hand gets this advice from the master:

- He is a fast driver. When he tries to not make mistakes he isn't fast enough. He is capable of being very fast.

IL

Sources: Ilta-Lehti/Translated by Nicole/ www.octetort.com/

Tags:: Loeb,; WRC

Comments: 0 | Views: 62

Last Post by: Ice Lady87 (17/9/2010, 16:18)

Raikkonen interview from Motorsport Aktuell

Posted on 16/8/2010, 15:10 by: Ice Lady87

Raikkonen interview from Motorsport Aktuell

You hardly lack variety, after snow and gravel you had your first WRC rally on tarmac. Satisfied?
Generally yes, our speed was good. Okay, it was disappointing though that we didn’t finish were we could have been, in the top 4. But most important was that we learned much again. On the second and third day it wasn’t easy to have the same motivation than in the beginning when we were fighting for the top places. Altogether I’m still happy.

Is the time difference to Sebastien Loeb like you expected it?
It was the first time that I did a tarmac rally against Loeb. How should I have an exact idea what to expect? On some places we were not so far off.

As an ex-F1 driver you certainly feel more comfortable on tarmac. Are you working there already more on details?
The difference is not that big although I feel more home on asphalt. But rally driving is and will remain something totally different to circuit races. When we set up the rally car it is the same procedure. You handle a programme, no matter if it’s gravel or tarmac. I’m still lacking the experience in rally. That’s why I not only trust my feeling but also listen to the tips of the team.

Is rally after half a season still passion or already daily business?
No, I still have a lot to learn, so it’s rather not daily business. I like driving rallies, it’s a great challenge for me.

How far are you with your process of learning?
Still at the beginning. In rally there is nothing like experience. Everything is very complex, that can’t be learned in some months.

In which areas you see most likely room for improvement?
Everywhere, really. Everything is new for me, I’m learning all the time. One fundamental point we have to work on is the notes. That’s something which doesn’t exist on the circuit but in rally sport it’s an important factor of success. With the right notes you can gain a lot of speed.

And where you have improved the most?
I don’t think that there is this one point. The point is to improve everything together, the whole package – to learn as much as possible. I feel now much stronger than at the beginning of the season, in all areas. But we have to continue working and learning.

Are there things in the rally championship you imagined differently?
No, basically everything is like I expected it. From last year I had a bit of experience, so I could imagine how things will come. But if you want to improve only experience counts. A circuit you can learn in some hours, with rally that will take much longer.
...

Read the whole post...

Tags:: F1,; WRC

Comments: 0 | Views: 57

Last Post by: Ice Lady87 (16/8/2010, 15:10)

Sebastien Ogier and Kimi Raikkonen head to Rallye Deutschland

Posted on 14/8/2010, 14:33 by: Ice Lady87

Sebastien Ogier and Kimi Raikkonen head to Rallye Deutschland
Kimi Raikkonen returns to his favourite surface for Rallye Deutschland

The Rallye Deutschland, the second asphalt round of this season, has been eagerly awaited by the Citroën Junior Team. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia make a return to the *** No swearing *** of the number 7 C4 WRC and their aim is to consolidate the potential that they showed in Bulgaria. Kimi Räikkönen and Kaj Lindström, who naturally feel comfortable on asphalt, have exactly the same objective.

After a very encouraging performance in Bulgaria, the Citroën Junior Team is hoping to do even better on a rally that contains quite different types of asphalt.

“Everyone in the team has very good memories of our trip to Bulgaria,” commented team manager Benoit Nogier. “Kimi, who had so much to learn this year, showed just what he is capable of on his first asphalt World Championship Rally and Sébastien was very competitive too. However, the Rally Bulgaria was new for everyone. In Germany, we will be up against drivers with plenty of experience of the terrain. So the objective we have fixed for our drivers is not to make any mistakes. I’m sure that our C4 WRCs are capable of some excellent results.”

Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia are currently second in the World Rally Championship for drivers after eight of 13 rounds and they are contesting the Rallye Deutschland for the second time. Their first time in Germany dates from the 2008 season, when they claimed victory in the Junior World Rally Championship classification, driving a Citroën C2 Super 1600.

“Things will be completely different at the wheel of the C4 WRC” said Sébastien. “ The route in Germany is very specialised, with one stage in particular that stands out. On Saturday we will drive a stage that is nearly 50 kilometres long twice, on a military range, and that is really going to separate the men from the boys. Generally speaking, one characteristic of the rally is several grip changes. It’s important to make a good set of pace notes and work well with your safety crew. The goal is to try and get to the end without making mistakes, hopefully coming close to the pace of Sebastien Loeb – who is definitely the man to beat in Germany!”

Kimi Räikkönen has been comfortable with the Citroën C4 WRC on asphalt since he first drove it, and now he will have a new playing field on the challenging stages that run along the shores of the Mosel Rive...

Read the whole post...

Tags:: GermanyRally,; Ogier,; WRC

Comments: 0 | Views: 62

Last Post by: Ice Lady87 (14/8/2010, 14:33)

Keke: Kimi has coped surprisingly well in rally

Posted on 11/8/2010, 16:24 by: Ice Lady87

Keke: Kimi has coped surprisingly well in rally

MTV3's F1-expert, Keke Rosberg, who has driven rally also himself, has been following with interest Kimi Räikkönen's first season in WRC.

- Of course I have been following it with huge interest, and actually I've been positively surprised how well Kimi has gotten "into" the sport. It is after all a totally different genre in that level where Kimi is driving now compared to the level we drove back in the days. Kimi is now along with the big boys, and has getting on surprisingly well, Keke says in MTV3's interview.

Keke thinks that Kimi's difference in speed compared to the top drivers in WRC is like it was expected.

- These days in rally you have to have experience which means that you have to know the roads. The other thing is the note reading and driving from it, which of course comes with time. You can't do anything else but go through two or three years and learn. Not until after that you can see if there is enough interest for such a lont-term project, Rosberg says.

Fonte: MTV3/Tradução para Inglês: Leijona
Source: http://octetort.blogspot.com/2010/08/keke-...medium=facebook

Tags:: KekeRosberg,; WRC

Comments: 0 | Views: 48

Last Post by: Ice Lady87 (11/8/2010, 16:24)

Kimi Räikkönen: A Formula 1 Champion with Strong Rally Genes

Posted on 9/8/2010, 15:41 by: Ice Lady87

Kimi Räikkönen: A Formula 1 Champion with Strong Rally Genes

In the summer of 2009, Kimi Räikkönen, the 2007 Formula 1 World Champion, fell in love with rallying, got out of his contract for 2010 with Ferrari and joined the WRC instead.

As we know, for a Fin, rally-racing is the real crown of motor sport; a rally world champion is a true hero in Finland. Ergo, a WRC title would be worth more to Kimi than his Formula 1 title.

"In terms of sportsmanship, rally-racing is definitely the greatest challenge as far as I’m concerned,” said Kimi at the start of the new season. He added: "I am learning all over but I want to know how good I am. I am getting familiar with a new car, with rallying, working with my co-driver – everything.” He certainly has his elder brother Rami for mental support, who has been drifting through the Nordic rally forests for years.

The cool Kimi Räikkönen – "Iceman” as his Formula 1 team principal Ron Dennis nicknamed him in 2004 – gave his WRC debut in August 2009 at the Rally Finland in a close-to-production Fiat Grande Punto S2000 (grp. N). Through the good offices of his sponsor Red Bull, he landed a driver’s seat with the Citroën Junior World Rally Team for 2010.

With his co-driver Kaj Lindström, Räikkönen has four WRC rallyes under his belt and scored 14 points in his Citroën C4 WRC. In June, at the Lanterna rally in Italy he passed his asphalt test in view of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland (19 to 22 August 2010). With the Rally Bulgaria (7 to 11 July 2010) and the German WRC round looming, his team principal Benoit Nogier has scheduled another test on gravel and two days of testing for the ADAC Rallye Deutschland: "At the Lanterna rally, Kimi came in as a surprise second in the overall standings. This is powerful motivation for the German rally.”

Before switching over from Formula 1, Räikkönen started in eight German Grand Prix but he does not know the settings of the German rally around Trier at all. Since there are plenty of points of interest to check out, Kimi was happy to look up Trier in the ADAC travel guide. He comments on his level of knowledge: "Right now, I’m not even sure what to expect of the Rallye Deuschland itself. My teammates tell me that it is an extremely many-sided rally on varying types of tarmac. But that’s exactly the sort of challenge I like in rallying. Of course, I also enjoy seeing new places, new regions, and meeting new people. I’m sure the Rallye Deutschland will be a really good experience.”

Source: ...