Kjell: This is very important weekend for many Finns because our most popular sport Formula 1 is about to start in Australia. I must admit that I’m not an expert when it comes to this sport, I watch a race every now and then and Anne isn’t too big fan either. Because our F1 drivers are a little busy at the moment sitting in their cars, they couldn’t come here to our studio, but we’ve  got the next best thing here; a girl who is a Formula 1 and especially Kimi Räikkönen fan and has come all the way from Jyväskylä to talk to us today. She’s Kati Cartmell – welcome!

Kati: Thank you!

Kjell: Tell us a little bit more, what do you do – what separates you from a normal fan?

Kati:   Well, I have followed Kimi ever since he joined Formula 1 in 2001. I’ve a good friend in England who runs a website, GoKimi.com which is dedicated to Kimi Räikkönen and I’m part of the admin team and work as a moderator on the forum. That’s at least one of the things that separates me from regular fans! I also spend a lot of time online posting and chatting about Kimi and Formula 1 and have been waiting for this new season very impatiently!

Kjell: Did you support Kimi in the beginning?  I mean he has had the best cars lately, driving for Ferrari and before that McLaren, these past few years, but when he was driving for the Sauber team and didn’t do so well and didn’t always finish the race, did you still support him then and believe in him?

Kati: Yes! I actually didn’t even follow Formula 1 before Kimi joined. He was 6th in Australia in his very first race with Sauber and that caught my attention. What kind of guy can race that well in not so good car?

Kjell: You just mentioned that you write a lot about Kimi on the internet. Perhaps not so much in the British media but at least here in Finland,  the reporters are bashing him quite a lot and writing about his private life, and every time there’s a story about how Kimi went to a pub to have a beer the media manages to exaggerate this. Do you have to stand up for him a lot?

Kati: Yes, there has been a few situations that I have had to stand up for him a little. Some fans that come from other cultures may not understand our Finnish culture, especially when it comes to our drinking habit and they tend to get disappointed and hurt if Kimi does something “bad”. Then it is my job to try to make them understand that the situation may not be as bad as it seems. After all, I am the only Finnish member on GoKimi.

Anne: Do you always take his side, no matter what?

Kati: Yes, well let’s say that at least 95% of the time. Every now and then I might get a little frustrated with him but I could never be totally against him, at least when it comes to Formula 1. If there are situations when I may not completely agree with him, they tend to happen outside his career.

Kjell: When was the last time this happened,  that you had to smack your own forehead and say: “No Kimi, not like this!”

Kati: It was probably one of these famous drinking incidents that we all got to read about in the papers and see the pictures. I don’t want to believe everything I read and I usually tend to try and forget about it. I just keep in my mind that he’s a young guy and they do things like that.

Anne: Yeah, a bit like a loving mother.

Kati: Yeah exactly! He’ll grow out of it.

Kjell: So the new season starts now, early Sunday morning in Finnish time. How intensive a Formula 1 fan are you? Do you watch every possible free practise session and qualifying there is?

Kati: I have to admit that I watch all the races and most of the qualifying as well, unless I have to work or something. But the races are the most important for me. I have to see them. When it comes to free practises, I tend to read about those afterwards on the internet.

Kjell: I’ve to ask, since there are different kinds of Finnish sport tourists, there are ice hockey tourists and Formula 1 tourists and when they go abroad and behave badly, they are always wearing that Mika Häkkinen or Kimi Räikkönen t-shirt. I have to ask, do you have a Kimi t-shirt as well?

Kati: *laughs* Yes

Kjell: Although there are quite a few different ones, not too a good question!

Kati: I visited Estonia about five years ago and I bought myself a Kimi/McLaren t-shirt from there which had many pictures of Kimi on it and says “West” on the back. I also have two caps. I’ve got a new Ferrari cap and also the old McLaren cap. 

Kjell: Do you wear them during the race weekends?

Kati: At some point I did do that. I wanted to think that he’d have better luck if I wore them!  But not anymore though.  I noticed that it didn’t quite work that way.

Anne: But listen Kati, hand on your heart -  if you noticed now that an F1 race is about to start and you should be going to work – is it alright to ring your boss and say that your, umm, leg hurts?

Kati: *laughs* Yeah I think I would do that, although I would have to come up with something better!

Anne: Has this ever happened?

Kati: Ehm, no comment on that one since I’m not sure who’s listening to this! 

Kjell: Luckily these races are always on Sundays!

Kati: Indeed! 

Anne: Unless you are a priest and you want to stay home watch the race instead of saying mass!

Kjell: That’s a completely different story then!

Anne: Hey, I have got one important question. I have been thinking that since I don’t follow F1 at all, what am I missing?

Kati: It has its own excitement, speed and skills that no other sport has. The drivers are so talented and only a few people can do what they do. I think you’ll get hooked once you have seen a couple of races. Especially this year there are so many different rules that no one has any idea who’s going to win, so that adds to the excitement. 

Kjell: So the first race this Sunday: who’s going to win?

Kati: I believe Kimi has the best chance to win. 

Kjell: What will the podium look like?

Kati: Kimi will be 1st, then 2nd could be Lewis Hamilton and 3rd could be a surprise with his new team, Jenson Button. 

Kjell: Thanks for being here and let’s wish all the best for Kimi

Kati: Thank you!

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Thanks Sarah I have to admit that I was like that at first too, checking all the magazines and newspapers in case they had something about Kimi there. Nowdays I can’t be bothered with little gossip stuff anymore - I only buy the ones that have proper interviews!

Graeme knows how you feel though now when Jenson is doing well, they barely mention him in the Finnish media even though he has won two races!