Kimi Räikkönen Q&A prior to Rally Bulgaria

Three questions to Kimi Räikkönen ahead of WRC Rally Bulgaria.

Q: How did you get on with the Citroën C4 WRC on asphalt so far?

Kimi Raikkonen: “I was keen to drive on asphalt since the very start of the season. From the very first few kilometres in testing, I had a really good feeling with the car. That feeling was confirmed when we took part in a rally in Italy, which I enjoyed hugely. Even if we missed out on victory on the final special stage, we can only be pleased with our performance. The whole team helped us a lot on our asphalt debut. The experience that we’ve built up since the start of the season is beginning to pay off.”

Q: Is being on asphalt an advantage for you?

KR: “Even though I’ve spent several seasons in Formula One, the asphalt you find on circuits is not at all comparable to what we will encounter in rallying. Formula One and rally are two completely different disciplines. In the WRC, we will be competing on a number of different asphalt rallies with very diverse characteristics. You can’t compare the Rally Bulgaria with the Catalunya Rally, or with the roads in Germany or France. In just one stage you can go from wide and flowing roads to narrow or bumpy sections. The grip levels change from one corner to another too. It’s also vital to have a good feeling with your co-driver and the pace notes, as well as being able to make the most of a well-balanced car. ”

Q: What do you expect from the Rally Bulgaria?

KR: “It’s certainly going to be a very different type of playing field, and that is one of the things I like most about rallying. The flip side of this is that rallying is a very hard sport for anybody new to it. This first asphalt rally of the season will be a very important part of my learning process in the WRC. I’ve realised that it vital to pick things up as you go along and not try to run before you can walk. My objective is to get to the finish and completely understand my Citroën C4 WRC. We’ll see where we are at the end of the first day and then try to close the gap to our rivals.”

Fonte: rallybuzz.com

Nem acredito que na semana que vem já teremos Rali da Bulgária!!! Só para comentar o que Kimi falou acima, o que mais admiro no finlandês nesta sua nova carreira é a sua humildade em reconhecer que as coisas não são fáceis e que nada do que ele encara hoje pode ser comparado ao que ele viveu na F1. Será uma boa etapa para Kimi!!! Ele está animado e isto aumenta a confiança. GO KIMI!!!

Beijinhos, Ice-Ludy