O rali combina com Räikkönen

The different rally-stress suits Räikkönen

Turun Sanomat 27.4 2010 22:09:44

Kimi Räikkönen is undergoing a rally-break, when the next race in his calender is only at the end of May in Portugal.

Räikkönen switched from F1 to rally when he wanted less stress and more driving. The decision was supported also with Ferrari offering him full salary if he doesn't race in F1-level this year.

What's the difference in stress then?

- It comes pretty much differently. If the F1-world would go a few decades backwards in time then it would be the same as in rally now. Everything is pro-business in rally also and everything is done as well as possible. But it is a little bit more laid-back style and of course the surroundings are different.

- In rally you don't spend time at the pit stop but in the car in the middle of the forest, when you drive all the stages through two times. In service in the pit area we are only 30-45 minutes per day.

- And in rally there is not so much people as in F1. There is only the people you need, Räikkönen describes.

Jyväskylä main race

Finland's WRC-rally is of course Räikkönen's main race this season. Jyväskylä is the only rally, which he drove already last year.

- Even then I didn't get experience from the closing day. At least I saw the stages. Hopefully by then I have enough experience that I can drive a little bit faster and catch the top to some extent.

- It's the same as if now we would drive again the rallies we have driven so far. It would be a lot easier when you have driven them once before. I believe it somewhat helps.

- I aim all the time to the top. Otherwise there wouldn't be any point in driving. We knew already in the beginning that the others go pretty fast but the most important thing is that I can improve slowly myself. When you succeed in one stage then that in itself increases confidence.

The scale hasn't leaned yet

Räikkönen's career continues next year in either rally or back in F1. Kimi denies that the decision scale would be leaning towards rally when he has gained 14 WRC-points in the last two races.

- It hasn't turned in any direction and I have no hurry to make decisions. I have to see what is possible and what is the most interesting thing in the end - the thing which I enjoy and like doing the most. We will see it somewhere in a further point this year, Räikkönen said.

Turun Sanomat, Helsinki

HEIKKI KULTA

Tradução para Inglês: Leijona

Ler os textos do Heikki Kulta é sempre muito bom!!!!

Beijinhos, Ice-Ludy