Kimi Raikkonen returns to F1 with Lotus F1 Team

[Suomileijona]

Thank you very much again, Soren!

[kimiteamlotus]

Kimi on the nurburgring nordschleife.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... f3bjKwwlMM

[reppo]

kimiteamlotus, some videos cannot be embedded. You can check it in preview. If you see an error, just give an url to the page of the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf3bjKwwlMM

[reppo]

Thanks for the video kimiteamlotus Funny thing. The singer was singing "Take me away..." and PS on the page:

P.S. The final edit was seized by the FBI during the Megaupload raid.
It will be uploaded as soon as it returns (if ever).
The current version has a few problems and no color correction. Sorry.

[reppo]

Soren, thanks for the link

What?
http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainm ... l-red-bull

Another former world champion, Kimi Raikkonen, is coming back to the sport. Can he make an impact?
I don't think we've ever seen a phenomenal sporting comeback. It's never happened, it never will. Second time around they're not as hungry and the sport has moved on.

Webber has never heard about Niki Lauda or Alain Prost

Well, at least Martin Brundle has other kind of opinion:
http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/new ... On-Bahrain

The stand out for me on race day was Kimi Raikkonen. Eleventh on the grid but with four of his six sets unused he was always going to move forward. It's impressive that his race craft hasn't suffered at all by being away, we've seen him in numerous wheel-to-wheel combats already and he's staying out of trouble at the start too.

I spoke with him after the race and he was really unhappy not to have won. "I chose the wrong side with my one chance to pass Vettel," he remarked. I asked if he meant that he should have carried on down the inside, and he surprised me when he said, "No, I should have just gone down the outside".

I feel that, just like with Sauber in Malaysia, if Lotus (formerly Toleman, Benetton and Renault) had done more winning in recent times they would have seized the upper hand with Red Bull more aggressively and forced the pit-stops. In hindsight they would surely have eased Kimi past his team-mate much sooner when they were together earlier in the race. Kimi also slipped up and let Felipe Massa's Ferrari by in the early stages which cost him a lot of time.

I said to Kimi 'so that's a race that got away' and his facial expression confirmed that the racer in him is fiercely alive and kicking. No self-congratulatory pat on the back for him.

[reppo]

It's OAKLEY

Yes. MTV3 says Kimi designs his by himself
http://www.mtv3.fi/viihde/uutiset/muut. ... laseihinsa (in Finnish)

Kimi Raikkonen only rely on sunglasses designed by himself
23.04.2012 17:19

On the paddock F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen rely on the self-designed sunglasses.

​​Kimi Raikkonen, who made a return to the F1 tracks, is anticipated sight on the paddock. Raikkonen has kept his style and is often seen on the paddock in casual t-shirts and sunglasses designed by himself. During Bahrain Grand Prix race Räikkönen showed up in a black t-shirt and in plaid shorts.

Raikkonen finished the Bahrain Grand Prix in second place.
(MTV3)

Well, I'm not going to comment the design

[reppo]

Just remembered that on the night few days ago when I couldn't get sleep I turned radio on. There was somebody talking about motor sports and driver etc. He said Kimi's father Matti once told that Kimi has exceptional eyesight. He probably has since Lawrence Barretto commented on BBC during Australian GP:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/17413225

LAP 44
Kimi Raikkonen is on the radio to his team again - this time to them that Kamui Kobayashi's rear wing is damaged. From the onboard shots, you can see there is a part flapping so let's see what Sauber decide to do. Crikey Kimi, you've got good eyesight. BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson says he thinks it's structurally OK, but the team will need to have a look as the car passes the pitwall next time around.

[kimiteamlotus]

Thank you for your help reppo.

[reppo]

VANILLA, CHOCOLATE OR STRAWBERRY? - ASK KIMI! PART 1 [Q&A]
There is also part 2 coming tomorrow in Lotus site.

[kimiteamlotus]

VANILLA, CHOCOLATE OR STRAWBERRY? - ASK KIMI! PART 1 [Q&A]
There is also part 2 coming tomorrow in Lotus site.

Thanks reppo

[donald29]

RENE SPEKSNIJDER:
 WE LEARNED THAT YOU ARE A BIT MORE HARSH ON THE ENGINE THEN ROMAIN. IN WHICH WAY DOES THAT AFFECT THE CAR? FURTHERMORE, HOW DO YOU LIKE THE ENGINE TO PICK-UP REGARDING YOUR USE OF THE THROTTLE?

KR: I have driven the car and used the throttle in the same way all my career. Every driver has his own style of going fast. This is mine. It is maybe a bit harsh, but it remains within the scope of what the Renault engine can take.

We know of one race in 2005 (Imola) where the engine failure was Kimi's fault as he did not do what he was told, this admission does make you wonder how many of the engine failures he suffered were down to his driving style.

[reppo]

RENE SPEKSNIJDER:
 WE LEARNED THAT YOU ARE A BIT MORE HARSH ON THE ENGINE THEN ROMAIN. IN WHICH WAY DOES THAT AFFECT THE CAR? FURTHERMORE, HOW DO YOU LIKE THE ENGINE TO PICK-UP REGARDING YOUR USE OF THE THROTTLE?

KR: I have driven the car and used the throttle in the same way all my career. Every driver has his own style of going fast. This is mine. It is maybe a bit harsh, but it remains within the scope of what the Renault engine can take.

We know of one race in 2005 (Imola) where the engine failure was Kimi's fault as he did not do what he was told, this admission does make you wonder how many of the engine failures he suffered were down to his driving style.

What there are more positions in throttle than just on and off? Kimi's first car was Lada and it newer went broken: http://kimiisland.wordpress.com/tag/redbulletin/

Q: Your first car was a Lada right?
Kimi: Yeah I sold it a long time ago to a friend. Ladas are good cars – they never break down.

That's why he went to Lotus instead of Williams, since last year there was Lada written on LRGP's F1 car. I'm not sure how many engines Kimi has broken. Ron Dennis has told that the most difficult thing with Kimi was to guide him to keep pace and save tyres and engine. Surely he has broken as much engines as any other hard headed driver has. Anyway in Imola 2005 it was CV joint of the drive shaft which went broken, and Dennis later publicly apologized that from Kimi. I think he has broken more suspensions than engines. Like locking tyres in braking and getting a flat spot, which has vibrated suspension broke, or driving too hard on kerbs and breaking something. He has done some stupid things during his career as in f1rogues' list of ROGUE PROFILE OF KIMI RAIKKONEN

[Mar]

RENE SPEKSNIJDER:
 WE LEARNED THAT YOU ARE A BIT MORE HARSH ON THE ENGINE THEN ROMAIN. IN WHICH WAY DOES THAT AFFECT THE CAR? FURTHERMORE, HOW DO YOU LIKE THE ENGINE TO PICK-UP REGARDING YOUR USE OF THE THROTTLE?

KR: I have driven the car and used the throttle in the same way all my career. Every driver has his own style of going fast. This is mine. It is maybe a bit harsh, but it remains within the scope of what the Renault engine can take.

We know of one race in 2005 (Imola) where the engine failure was Kimi's fault as he did not do what he was told, this admission does make you wonder how many of the engine failures he suffered were down to his driving style.

I remember Pedro Martínez de la Rosa talking about Kimi and the engines in Spanish TV some years ago. Kimi was already in Ferrari and, therefore, de la Rosa did not need to "protect" Kimi.

He explained the problem were the engines not Kimi. If I remember well (it's already a while since then), he explained that to be sure the engines would finish the race, the pace the drivers would have to drive would have not allowed them to win anything. De la Rosa also explained that Kimi preferred to try to win even if he was risking an engine failure than just doing nothing, winning nothing and going nowhere. He sounded proud of Räikkönen.
I think he was mainly talking about 2006, but some of the comments were pretty general.

[beefree88]

RENE SPEKSNIJDER:
 WE LEARNED THAT YOU ARE A BIT MORE HARSH ON THE ENGINE THEN ROMAIN. IN WHICH WAY DOES THAT AFFECT THE CAR? FURTHERMORE, HOW DO YOU LIKE THE ENGINE TO PICK-UP REGARDING YOUR USE OF THE THROTTLE?

KR: I have driven the car and used the throttle in the same way all my career. Every driver has his own style of going fast. This is mine. It is maybe a bit harsh, but it remains within the scope of what the Renault engine can take.

We know of one race in 2005 (Imola) where the engine failure was Kimi's fault as he did not do what he was told, this admission does make you wonder how many of the engine failures he suffered were down to his driving style.

It depends on how you define "down to his driving style". This is a constant characteristic of a driver, yet his engines apparently suffered only in 2002, and 2005

[beefree88]

RENE SPEKSNIJDER:
 WE LEARNED THAT YOU ARE A BIT MORE HARSH ON THE ENGINE THEN ROMAIN. IN WHICH WAY DOES THAT AFFECT THE CAR? FURTHERMORE, HOW DO YOU LIKE THE ENGINE TO PICK-UP REGARDING YOUR USE OF THE THROTTLE?

KR: I have driven the car and used the throttle in the same way all my career. Every driver has his own style of going fast. This is mine. It is maybe a bit harsh, but it remains within the scope of what the Renault engine can take.

We know of one race in 2005 (Imola) where the engine failure was Kimi's fault as he did not do what he was told, this admission does make you wonder how many of the engine failures he suffered were down to his driving style.

I remember Pedro Martínez de la Rosa talking about Kimi and the engines in Spanish TV some years ago. Kimi was already in Ferrari and, therefore, de la Rosa did not need to "protect" Kimi.

He explained the problem were the engines not Kimi. If I remember well (it's already a while since then), he explained that to be sure the engines would finish the race, the pace the drivers would have to drive would have not allowed them to win anything. De la Rosa also explained that Kimi preferred to try to win even if he was risking an engine failure than just doing nothing, winning nothing and going nowhere. He sounded proud of Räikkönen.
I think he was mainly talking about 2006, but some of the comments were pretty general.

It's heartbreaking that despite all of his talent, and considering that he spent his 10 years in F1 mostly in top teams, he never even once had a season when everything came together like for the other WDCs from Schumacher to Vettel. He had a car once that he felt "normal", but that had a fragile engine. I wonder if he'll ever get a chance