2nd March 2010

Rally Mexico Preview - Citroën Junior Team set for Mexico debut

Following the wintery conditions of the Rally Sweden, the Citroën Junior Team now changes continent and surface to contest the first gravel round of the 2010 FIA World Rally Championship season. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia and Kimi Räikkönen/Kaj Lindström will drive the team’s two Citroën C4 WRCs.

Having appeared on the World Rally Championship for the first time in 2004, the León-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 length 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). Citroën 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 Citroën Junior Team, which goes there for the first time.

Since making their World Rally Championship debut two years ago, Sébastien and Julien have climbed onto the overall podium (thanks to second place in Greece last year) and finished eighth in the 2009 World Rally Championship for drivers. In Sweden, their fifth place ensured that they beat several local Scandinavian specialists. So in Mexico, the French duo’s objective will be to at least equal that result.

Kimi Räikkönen and Kaj Lindström 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 Citroën C4 WRC in these challenging conditions and getting as many kilometres under my belt as I can, in order to add to my experience.”

Three questions to… Kimi Räikkönen

Looking back on it now, what conclusions can you draw from your first event in the World Rally Championship with the Citroën Junior Team C4 WRC?

“The really positive thing is that we managed to cover all the stages on the Rally Sweden and we learned a lot. We could have done better overall had it not been for some small mistakes but we managed to improve our stage times as the rally went on. That was our initial objective. The second run through the stages was better for us. I also felt a big difference once I became more confident with my pace notes. With more experience, things should get increasingly easier.”

Mexico will be the first time that you drive the Citroën C4 WRC on gravel. Do you think that you will find this surface easier than snow?

“I’m really looking forward to starting the Rally Mexico. My impression is that driving on gravel should be a little bit easier for us. Or at least that’s what Marcus Grönholm told me! I reckon that we will find a more consistent level of grip on gravel. But for the moment I’m still lacking experience. I just need to get more kilometres in the car in order to get used to the Citroën C4 WRC in particular and rallying in general.”

How are you going to approach the Rally Mexico?”

My plan had initially been to take part in a test session on gravel, in order to get to know the Citroën C4 WRC a bit better on a new surface for me. But unfortunately I experienced a bit of back pain that stopped me from driving. I’ve had some treatment now but I preferred to rest before leaving for Mexico. Of course I would have liked to test the car before going, but it was important to recuperate in order to start the second rally of the season in the best possible physical shape.”

Courtesy of Citroen Racing Communication.

Source - Kimi’s Official Website

Image (c) Craig Boon

2nd August 2009

Kimi Raikkonen has crashed out of Rally Finland in the final stage on day two.

The Finn, who was making his debut in the World Rally Championship this weekend, had been running very well following an impressive performance on Friday, when he set eight top-20 stage times.

Having started the last day in 17th place overall, the Ferrari man was up to 15th post-SS18 and on course for a rostrum finish in Group N. However the 29.29 kilometre Vaarinmaja stage - the longest of the event - was to be his undoing when he rolled his Abarth Grande Punto S2000, crashing in the same place that caught out Adapta WRT’s Mads Ostberg.

Raikkonen and co-driver Kaj Lindstrom, who formerly partnered multiple world rally champion Tommi Makinen, were both uninjured in the incident.

Speaking prior to his exit, Raikkonen had been unhappy with his car as the engine was playing up. Despite that though he still managed to increase his pace and posted two 14th best efforts in SS17 and SS18.

“We cannot do anything about our engine problems,” said the Finn after the 12.75 kilometre Urria test, SS17. “The handling is okay now, but we don’t have enough power. It is a real shame, as it would have been nice to have had a little bit more speed.”

Meanwhile Patrik Flodin, who had been fighting with Raikkonen for 15th and P3 in the Production class - 15.1 seconds adrift, was disappointed to see the ‘iceman’ go out. “I saw Kimi’s car in the same place that Mads Ostberg went off and a lot of spectators were helping,” Flodin added. “It is a real shame that Kimi has gone off - it was a nice feeling to be rallying against him.” 

Source - Kimi’s Official Website

Image (c) Bridgestone Corporation

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Maranello, 29 July 2009

First of all I want to wish Felipe well again. He had an incredible accident on last Saturday and I think that he was on everybody’s mind in the Scuderia Ferrari and the drivers on the grid. I know that his condition is improving constantly and I’m glad to hear that. I really hope that he’ll be alright soon and get back on the track. It was an absurd accident and the Team had some very difficult moments, because in the beginning we didn’t know why Felipe ran off the track at this point. But then a driver has to blind out certain things once he’s on the track.

The second place on Sunday was a good result for the Scuderia, especially under these circumstances. We’ve made some progress, there’s not doubt. The high temperatures helped our car and I could press hard on the soft and on the hard compound. We managed to get a place on the podium, but we couldn’t really fight for victory. It’s strange how it always goes well on certain tracks and some are completely the opposite: in Germany things go always wrong for me, but in Hungary I drove on the podium again, for the fifth time.

With these eight points we gained here we’re now on the third place in the Constructors’ Championship. That’s where we want to stay, because this is the goal we set for ourselves for the second half of the season. Obviously we’re trying to gain another place on the podium, but we know that it’s difficult, because the competition at the top is really hard. I won’t give up also because I would like to win at least one race this year.

Now I can’t wait to race at the Finland Rally, although I’m going there to have fun. We had some very good tests with my Fiat Grande Punto Abarth S2000 and we’re ready for racing. I’ve got great experience in Formula 1 but not in rally driving, although I know a bit what it’s about. Getting used to a new track in Formula 1 is quite easy, but in a rally the stages always change. After this experience I’ll relax with my family and my friends. It’s high summer in Finland and it’s good to chill out a bit before we start with the preparations for the European GP at Valencia. 

Source - Kimi’s Official Site

Image (c) Bridgestone Corporation

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Kimi Raikkonen has taken part in Q&A session just a few hours before he takes part in his first WRC rally.

He seemed very relaxed and excited rather than feeling any pressure from taking part in first WRC event in his home country.

During the interview he discussed his aims and chances for the weekend which basically is “to stay on the road and remain hopeful…”

When asked whether he could see rallying as a future career, the Finn said: “Yes definitely. I am still in F1 and still have one more year contract but everything is open and it is nice to be a part of it here. I am a bit too young to do nothing so I will see. It all depends on which way F1 is going. Nobody is exactly sure how it will be. I am in no hurry.”

Please check out the interview in full on WRC.com

Here at Gokimi we wish Kimi all the best for this weekend!

Image (c) Bridgestone Corporation

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