Kimi Raikkonen returns to F1 with Lotus F1 Team

[Kriss]

Kimi Raikkonen 'fully prepared' for return, says Lotus boss Eric Boullier
By Jonathan Noble and Michele Lostia Friday, March 9th 2012, 12:42 GMT


Kimi Raikkonen is ready to impress on his Formula 1 return, and will not be at a disadvantage because of his disrupted pre-season testing programme.

That is the view of his team boss Eric Boullier, who thinks Raikkonen did enough over the winter to get fully prepared despite losing running at both the second test and on one day in Barcelona last week.

"I think he has shown us already what he can do," Boullier told AUTOSPORT, referring to the fastest time the former world champion set at the last Barcelona test.

"We will never recover from the four days we lost, and of course they would have been welcome. Both Kimi and Romain [Grosjean] would have benefited from the mileage, but it is like it is.

"We have to deal with the facts and I must say we did the best with the remaining days we had."

Raikkonen had said over the winter that the biggest issue he faced was understanding Pirelli's tyres - but Boullier thinks he is well on top of that matter.

"Kimi is good at this, but Romain is still lacking a little bit of experience," he said. "However, he [Grosjean] showed very good progress from Jerez to Barcelona on tyre management for the race, so I am confident he will do it."

Lotus owner Gerard Lopez told Gazzetta dello Sport this week that he too was convinced Raikkonen would impress in 2012.

When asked if it was a gamble, Lopez said: "Not at all. I don't like that people see it that way. Kimi is a quick driver who has integrated very well in the team from a personal point of view. He has told me he considers us a family. We'll see what he does in the races, but I have no doubts and in fact we have joined forces for two years."

Lopez thinks that with the investment in the team, and the push to increase resources, that the outfit can target good success in the next few years.

"We are 540 people, we have a new windtunnel, we have the simulator," he said. "We only lacked two things, but we have them now: a car competitive throughout the season, and the drivers. Raikkonen and Grosjean are super strong. The objective is to get in the fight for the world title in the next three years: we'll go for it."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97921

[Kriss]

it will be funny

09/03/2012

Top Gear video teaser, what to expect on Sunday ?

During the latter hours of Wednesday morning, Kimi took part in the filming of one of the world’s most watched television programmes: Top Gear

There was a noticeable chill in the air when Kimi arrived in the South-East of England, having jetted in from his home in Zurich for the day to drive a rather abused ‘Reasonably Priced Car’ around the legendary Top Gear test track.

After meeting the Stig – and trying to deduce who the latest driver to take that moniker might be – Kimi was shown the test track then let loose in the front wheel drive family runabout. Declaring the car ‘better than expected’, he explored the levels of adhesion, confirming that understeer and oversteer were both present in plentiful quantities when provoked. With the track learnt, the stopwatches were started. Kimi set a time of…. well, you’ll have to watch the programme to know that!

With the on-track action wrapped up, it was time to face one of Britain’s most renowned broadcasters: Jeremy Clarkson. Relaxing on the bench style leather car seats in front of an audience of around 400 fans lucky enough to be selected from the ten-year long waiting list to watch filming, Kimi’s appearance was certainly memorable, but we’re not going to give away any more than that.

Make sure you tune in to BBC TWO this coming Sunday at 20:00 UK time. Just to whet your appetite, here’s a short video teaser!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... erbp7mxJ78

http://www.lotusf1team.com/Some-Say-He- ... ml?lang=en

[sleenster]

Thanks Kriss He looks so relaxed

But damn...the track is wet no chance of beating Vettel's time then

And I hope they haven't posted all the funny bits already in that video

[phil1993]

He must have done it on Wednesday - that's the only day in weeks its rained down South and it isn't going to rain for another week

[sleenster]

He must have done it on Wednesday - that's the only day in weeks its rained down South and it isn't going to rain for another week

Yep, Top Gear is always filmed on Wednesdays

[reppo]

Thanks Kriss Kimi talks so much but he does look relaxed

[reppo]

http://bouncebackabilitrix.wordpress.co ... -comeback/

Breaking The Ice: Fairly Serious Thoughts On Kimi Raikkonen’s F1 Comeback.

And so it came to pass that the first and last day of the F1 2012 pre-season testing was topped by none other than returning F1 champion Kimi Raikkonen.

I know it is difficult for us Kimi-supporters to take this with a grain of salt and not as some sort of an omen from the racing gods–but we have to. In fact, we must.

The Red Bull still looks strong, and the McLaren is not too far behind. Mercedes looks like it’s finally ready to mount a serious threat, and even though Ferrari does not seem like the force that it used to be, it still is very much unclear where Raikkonen’s team Lotus stands in the pecking order.

So below are some “Kimi Supporter Orders” that I shall impose on myself for the 2012 season (barring any meddling or complaints from Bernie, the F~0~M or the FIA):

Thou shalt not expect a race win, or even a podium finish, immediately.
I know that I, along with millions of Kimi fans will be praying to the racing gods that his first race, and his first full F1-season in two years, will be an emphatic one, but we have to give Kimi enough time to completely acclimatize himself back to F1 and to “get to know the car”, so to speak. No doubt that he has the ability to surprise us all, but it’s always better to keep expectations in proper check.

Thou shalt not expect a more verbose Kimi in pre- and post-race interviews.
While I am grateful that the so-called “post-WRC” Kimi seems to be more open and willing when it comes to doing press duties, we have to remember that the constant, and sometimes-suffocating media attention and circus is partly what led to his sabbatical in 2009. And let’s face it, his racing skills are what gained him scores of fans through the years, not his elocution skills. So bring back the code-breakers and let’s try to decipher Kimi’s infamous mumblings once more!

Thou shalt maintain an objective eye on performances and results, and refrain from “feeding the trolls”.
The Kimi Army is famous (or sould I say infamous?) for standing by and defending the Iceman to the moon and back, and while it is tempting to keep the rose-tinted glasses firmly in place, we must expect that not all results will be positive, and there will inevitably be criticism. It is already a fact that the media and some factions of fans are well-fond of finding faults in Kimi, and the least we Kimi fans can do is to have the class to be indifferent to the negativity.

Thou shalt be patient, accept the good, the bad and the ugly. Above all, enjoy the “ride”.
Pretty much sums up everything in a neat, pristine bow.


The days are quickly passing by, and the tension and excitement are mounting. It has been said and written innumerable times before, but when you have 6 World Champions on the grid this season, there is bound to be some epic battles on- and off- the track. Bet on it.

It is not an easy task, but in the crazy world of F1 where the only predictable thing is its unpredictability, we have no choice but to Keep Calm and Hold On.

Reasonably said

[sleenster]

Raikkonen looking forward to racing in Australia



Poles, podiums, wins, a World Title; Kimi Raikkonen has been there, and done it all in Formula 1. Now he’s back for more, and hungrier than ever.

What are your objectives on your return to Formula 1 with Lotus F1 Team?
I will try to do as well as I can and see where we end up. For the first race in Australia we want to have a good weekend without any major issues or mistakes. I don’t know where we’re going to be on the grid – nobody knows. If you look at the lap times from testing everybody is very close to each other. We don’t know what everyone was doing with fuel load and that makes a massive difference. We’ll have some idea after practice in Melbourne, then after qualifying everyone will know exactly where we are.

Do you have any idea where you hope to be on the grid in Australia?
We might be last and we might be first – let’s see when we get there.

How much are you looking forward to racing in Formula 1 again?
Everybody wants to race. If you ask the test drivers: they want to race. Racing is the thing that people like. I don’t think that anyone will tell you that testing is more fun than racing. Of course I think that racing has changed a bit since I was last in it with the overtaking, but it’s not a completely different sport. It will be exciting and whoever gets the best out of the tyres will probably be in a strong position.

Do you have personal goals for the season?
No. We’ll see where we are in the first races and go from there. We’ll do the best we can and the best with the car.

You’ve had some good races in Australia – is it good to be starting the year there?
Australia is a nice place even though it’s a long way from Europe. The circuit itself is not the most difficult on the calendar. It was good to score a point on my first time at Albert Park, and the podiums and race win in 2007 obviously made me happy. The circuit hasn’t changed at all so I’m confident I know where it goes…

Do you think Albert Park could suit the E20?
You need a car with good traction and everything from testing says that the E20 has good traction so that will help us. Strong turn-in and stable braking help too, and those areas also feel good with the car so we are well placed. The track can be a bit slippery at the beginning of the weekend and the Melbourne weather is not always very warm; the Melbourne weather can definitely be a bit tricky. This will be the first race so I don’t know how we’ll compare to the other teams. My engineers have been running simulations and looking at the test data so we have an idea of how the car should work at Albert Park, but we won’t know for sure until we get out on track. It’s very difficult to say before we’ve been out on track, but I think and hope we’ll be reasonably strong.

http://www.f1zone.net/news/raikkonen-lo ... lia/12879/

[sleenster]

[reppo]

Iltasanomat made a list of Kimi's high moments in F1:
http://www.iltasanomat.fi/formula1/muis ... 69213.html

Do you remember these? Here are Räikkönen's wildest F1 deeds - see amazing videos!

Published on: 10.03.2012 09:01

Some amazing passes, fantastic starts, memorable victories ... and the WDC! IS Urheilu listed Kimi Räikkönen's toughest F1 achievement for the honour of the coming season

7. Melbourne 2001. Just an excellent first qualifying lap after experience of only 23 races in small formulas. Car: Sauber. Reported by legendary Murray Walker.


6. Hungaroring 2002. The first season in McLaren. A great pass from future team mate Juan Pablo Montoya - in a place where the Colombian does not really wait it.


5. Monaco 2005. The perfect pole position lap in F1 series' the most famous and most difficult street track.


4. Spa 2007. Great pole position lap in Räikkönen's and many others' favorite track, which separates champions from apprentices. Commentated by former F1 driver Martin Brundle.


3. Spa of 2009. A fantastic start with Ferrari in the race which brought Räikkönen's so far last victory.


2. Suzuka 2005. The most famous pass of the career. Giancarlo Fisichella at the first place was forced to surrender to Räikkönen at the final lap, who rose magnificently from 17th place on the grid to victory.


1. Sao Paulo, 2007. Checkered flag and the world championship.


And finally just for fun: Kimi speaks Italian.


Janne Aittoniemi

[donald29]

Some great moments there but Spa 2009 start? Having KERS when the other cars do not and driving off the track to gain an advantage.

[Mar]

Some great moments there but Spa 2009 start? Having KERS when the other cars do not and driving off the track to gain an advantage.

Okay, he had KERS, that's true, but the story with the off track "walk" is already... it was an advantage in the sense that it meant he was in no danger to crash, but it was dirty and that leaves the tyres in worse conditions for the following curves.
There is even people who say that it was an advantage because he could use KERS while he was off the track He explained it pretty well after the race: how on earth was he going to use the KERS while he was off the track with all the dust and the bumps there?


For me, from the list, it's clear: Suzuka 2005

[f194girl]

Thanks Kriss Kimi talks so much but he does look relaxed

Oh yes, he seems soooo relaxed! Hopefully someone will upload it on youtube very fast!

[reppo]

Some great moments there but Spa 2009 start? Having KERS when the other cars do not and driving off the track to gain an advantage.

What KERS was only a "keep Kimi interested" unit:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8vp1r ... ng-q_sport
It kept Kimi concentrated and made him drive better Anyway Kers was about the only thing which at that time worked well in the car. Which interestingly started to become better when Ferrari stopped to develop it Ferrari wasn't the only team using KERS. Also Renault, BMW and McLaren had it, but it wasn't always very reliable. And that dirty run off area only gives advantage if you are lucky. Kimi was

[donald29]

By then BMW and Renault had stopped using KERS. None of the cars he passed had KERS. Using the run off was an advantage there because instead of being tucked up behind Trulli he was able to deploy KERS and blast past, and get a run on Kubica. The Ferrari drivers did the same thing at other points in the season, Raikkonen and Massa both did it at Silverstone on the first corner for example.

I'm not disputing Kimi's driving talent here, I know Raikkonen fans can be very defensive , but this is not Kimi's third finest moment.