Time for answers by Heikki Kulta

Time for answers

F1, 5.12.2012 19:24, heikki.kulta

It took it's own time to get Kimi Räikkönen's interview in the season's final race and it took even more time to get this blog published. Because questions came both in Finnish and in English from all over the world, I aim to take both equally in consideration. 

There were lots of good questions. A bunch of good ones remained unasked due to the limited time I had at my disposal - which was doubled in the end - during the qualification-evening. Kimi clearly fired up over some different questions. 

The season is over but the new one begins before one has properly recovered from this one. I hope that each and everyone finds something they like from this Q&A - cluster. 

Please comment freely if the answers awaken opinions. 

Questions & Answers 

* Eskelinen asked: I would be interested to know how much Kimi's own preferences are taken into consideration when designing next year's car? And how much the next car differs from this year's car? 

Kimi replied: - Of course we drivers get to say - and we have also done that - our opinions, but not even one driver designs the car no matter how much we would be praised of being so tough. If drivers would design these cars then there wouldn't be any engineer or designer. It's them who invent, after that we try it out and say if it feels good or not. There is never any guarantees that some thing would be good or bad before it's put on the track and tried out. 

* Kohto asked: Racing has changed quite a lot after banning refueling. Does Räikkönen feel that it favors himself? I think it favors him because he is able to quickly adjust to a heavy car and changing conditions. Kimi replied: - It hasn't really changed anything. The cars with a heavier load might work a bit better than other cars, but it really makes no difference if the tank has 100 or 140 kg. A difference of 40 kg doesn't feel even closely as much as the difference between 20 kg and 100 kg used to feel. The difference in the car's behavior is minimal. I would say that the difference in the start is not much different from what it used to be when they put in something like 100 kg. 

* Kohto also asked: How much does Räikkönen run in a Cooper-test? During his career's beginning there were rumors that he even ran 3400-3500 meters. 

Kimi replied: – It was about 3200 meters, I think it was in year 2001 when we did it with Jukka Viitasaari near the hockey-stadium in Helsinki. After that I haven't ran much, I rather cycle. 

* Nicole asked: Does Kimi have a good relationship with Jerome? 

 Kimi replied: – It's totally okay. We get along well. We have played squash and other things together. 

* J asked: Is it true that Räikkönen sometime during his karting-years made the season's crucial overtake by pushing the car in the inner curve's small opening so that two tires were up in the air? 

Kimi replied: – I have done something like that earlier, so yes - it's true. 

* Rich Eklund asked: Kimi, you have said in 2009 that you wouldn’t come back to F1 unless you got a winning car to drive. Surely, you didn’t believe you could win with Lotus-Renault when you signed with them last year? McLaren was in the hunt for a new driver this season, and everyone in the team seems to like you, so why not sign with them again? 

Kimi replied: - It’s a very simple answer: I had already a contract with Lotus for 2013. And I like to race with them, as well. 

* Rich Eklund asked also: Kimi, this season you started with a few small problems, but it seems the car has always been quick enough to fight for podium positions. What has been your favorite, and indeed, least favorite things (races, celebrations, anything about F1) about returning to the F1 scene in 2012? 

Kimi replied: - I still like the same things as I did before: racing and winning are on the top of that, the rest comes with it. 

* mle asked: Have you had especially few technical problems during this season when compared to other seasons or has the reliability in practice been of the same good level as it has been in races? 

Kimi replied: - I have never before made it through races with so little technical probs. There was always something that banged and broke at some point. We drive tests and practices so that we get all possible problems solved. They are supposed to appear in them. 

* mle also asked: Then what does Kimi think about the upcoming change of the engine regulations? 

Kimi replied: – Nobody knows yet how they will affect. Anyone can be the best to guess at this stage - or it might be that all the engines are the same. 

* Jarppatine asked: The races have mainly been won from the front row no matter what new regulations there are. In which areas do you still have catching up to do when comparing to your competitors? Qualification, strategy, race speed etc.. And what actions does Lotus take? 

Kimi replied: – I guess that there could be a little more downforce. There hasn't been any bigger defect but we can improve a little in each area. Maybe we have the most to improve when it's cold, the tires don't work as well as they work on some other tracks. There are differences in that too, since they worked fine in England but not at all in Germany. 

* aivotärähdys asked: With all your accomplishments in the Lotus this season thus far, and taking into account all your past experiences with other teams - do you intend to change your approach to become more dominant and “aggressive” in terms of managing the team in 2013? ie. like Alonso - insist that car developments go your way.. optimize race strategies.. in other words, insist that you be given clear-cut no.1 status. 

Kimi replied: - I’m interested only in working on my own side with my own car. This has always been my approach. I have never had no. 1 status. We do our very best as a team, and that’s it. If the car is capable of bringing good results, we go aggressively to achieve the best possible result with the best possible strategy every time. Starting the second season with a team is always better than starting from the scratch. 

* Adam asked: We all know you don’t like the political side of F1 and all the reporters that go with that. Is there anything you would change if you had the power that directly affects you from your preparation on Sunday morning to the race start? 

Kimi replied: - It’s ok as it is. As long as everything is the same for everybody, it’s ok for me. 

* Mika asked: Is the Renault's steering the way you like it right now? 

Kimi replied: - It's okay. 

* itepaholaine asked: Who has been your fastest teammate during your F1-career and with whom have you got along best? 

Kimi replied: – A lot depends upon what you compare them with. I'm sure everyone of them has been fast at some point. No matter what I have done myself I just haven't been able to driver as fast. Of course it also depends upon the place too. You can't compare them just like that since each year is different with different cars.

* itepaholaine also asked: Have you been surprised yourself over how well your comeback-season has been? 

Kimi replied: – Since I couldn't expect anything specifically I couldn't be surprised either. Maybe some didn't expect it to go like this since the team didn't do that well last season. 

* Ho Kyung asked: What was Kimi’s favorite overtake he made this year? I think for me, it goes 1) Schumacher through Eau Rouge, as much for the planning over the course of 3, 4, or 5 laps, as the actual overtake 2) Di Resta in Germany, amazing battle through several corners and very fair on both sides 3) Hulkenberg in Austin, awesome overtake into a corner that really didn’t look like a possibility.

Kimi replied: – They all mean the same thing for me: to gain one place up. That’s it. Sometimes overtaking somebody is more important compared to some others. If you start from the back, for sure, it’s much easier to overtake those backmarkers compared to how tricky it is to pass a fast car in front of you. 

* Kirsty Walton asked: Rob Wilson said after your race win in Abu Dhabi that you have driven that race many times this season, but circumstances have prevented you from getting a win earlier. What race/s would you personally say that about and why? 

Kimi replied: - I would say Bahrain and Hungary were the races, we could have won - and probably we would also had a chance in some others with a better starting position in the grid. 

* Kirsty Walton asked also: You bought everyone in the team after the win a t-shirt printed with your now famous radio message. What is it about Lotus that seems to bring out your cheeky side that little bit more!? Kimi replied: - Since the very beginning my relationship with the team has been a nice one. The more we learned to know each other, the more easy-going atmosphere it has been there. 

* Juhani Tevrén asked: If you could start your career all over, would you be better prepared for the F1-career by studying English? 

Kimi replied: – I wouldn't had changed anything. And I don't want to advice anyone else either, because it's all the same to me what everyone does. 

* Tevrén also asked: Are you shy? 

Kimi replied: – I'm sure I am a little. 

* Dieci asked: The significance of qualifications has been really big during the last years. What is the biggest (singular) reason that the qualifications this season haven't gone as they should have and how are you going to take this into consideration next season? 

Kimi replied: - If we would have known it then we would also had fixed the problem. We learned a lot from this season and we try again next year. 

* Là asked: Is it true that you have been in a bicycle accident when you were a kid and injured your throat when it hit the steering bar? According to the rumor the accident has damaged your vocal cords permanently. Is there any truth in this? 

Kimi replied: – I was in a baby carriage and my bro pushed them into some sand and in the sudden stop a broken fipple fluit jabbed a hole in my throat. 

* Pete69 asked: You have been behind the slower cars more often than the Ferrari-drivers for example. Does this mean that Ferrari has this year been a more 'overtaking' car than Lotus? Has the differences between the car's top speed and acceleration lead to this? Or do you see that you aren't as aggressive as before or do you take less risks? What is the reason for you not doing as many overtakes as the other drivers from top teams when the lap speed would enable it? 

Kimi replied: – When you start from behind you face slower cars and those you can always easily overtake. But when you are up against faster cars, then not even the DRS is of any use since you simply just can't get past them on those straights. Overtaking is just as difficult as before if the other car is even slightly faster. 

* Fay, shanghai asked: I’m just curious that Kimi comes back and seems to enjoy the wheel to wheel racing again which is truly fantastic for us spectators too, yet after 2 years of rallying, which aspect of rally that he misses most at the moment? Or if he’s not missing it that much, which aspect specifically that he enjoyed most during his rally career? Either from a driving point of view or some other aspects. 

Kimi replied: - The fact is that I would have loved to do both F1 and rallying, but I fully understand, it’s impossible. Racing is my life, but rallying is a huge challenge, too. 

* wendy asked: In his F1 career, which country’s hotel he think is most comfortable for sleeping? Yes, yes, yes, we all know he’s crazy about sleeping! 

Kimi replied: – I don’t know… but, for sure, one of the best ever was in India this year. It was a great hotel close to the golf court. 

* Yulia A asked: When you drove for McLaren sometimes you brought your German Shepherd dog with you in paddock. Why don’t you do this anymore? We fans miss him. And who cares about him when you leave for the Grand Prix? 

Kimi replied: – Aksu is now an old dog and lives with my mother in Finland. 

* Juli Alex asked: When you stand on the grid before the start do you think how you’re gonna pass the cars in front of you? Do you imagine what course you should choose for good start? And how often does it work? 

Kimi replied: – Most likely I think of getting a good start. The first few meters are on my mind, so that I’ll not go to the throttle too quickly, because it will put the wheels to spin. That’s the most important thing in it. You cannot think of overtaking people beforehand. You have to decide only, while the situation occurs.

Fonte: Turun Sanomat / Tradução para o Inglês: Nicole

Que entrevista bacana!!! Heikki Kulta potencializando talentos entre os fãs de Kimi!!!! Imagino o trabalho que não deu transcrever tudo isto depois! #sódepensarcansei rsrsrs

Minha resposta preferida foi da pergunta: "Você é tímido?". Resposta do Iceman: "Tenho certeza que sou um pouco!".... #adoro Pior é que ele tem mesmo um lado tímido! #adoronovamente

E a confirmação que eu queria, ele deu, sobre o acidente que sofreu quando criança e feriu as cordas vocais dele, o que afetou um pouco sua voz. Pobre Rami, era ele quem estava guiando a bicicleta quando aconteceu a queda, deve ter ficado mega nervoso, coitadinho. E não gosto nem de imaginar algo perfurando a garganta de Kimi. #pânico

As perguntas foram realmente muito legais. Vale a pena ler esta entrevista. Gostei de várias, a do rali e da F1 em especial, mas curti mesmo foi a última questão, sobre como ele pensa em ultrapassar os carros que estão à fente dele, momentos antes de largar. Resposta que mostra um pouco como funciona a mente do piloto Räikkönen. #showdebola

Bom galerinha, fico nesta.

Beijinhos, Ludy