Yes, Kimi was much better in 2005, although the car flattered him.

Are we sure the 2007 and 2008 bits are really hot laps? They don't look like it to me. Or were they really that slow?

Pretty good video. I once described youtube to a friend as a site where people ruin the best racing footage they can find with the worst music they can find. This isn't one of the worst offenders, but still ...

I switch off the music every time I'm only interested in engine sounds when watching F1.

This is a nice video, it's a good idea to compile 9 years of Monaco into a single lap. Of course it's edited to fit so I don't think that some useful comparisons can be drawn.

Uuuups, I simply took the video as a tribute, nothing to analyse.

Silly me..

http://www.kimiraikkonen.com/videos/5.asp

I'd like to see Kimi in a top F1 car again, too. The vibes I get is Vettel is 'The Red Bull' driver, period. I think Red Bull see Seb leading them long term and will do pretty much whatever to hold on to him. Horner often speaks w/o mentioning Webber- I get the feeling MW is an afterthought in the team. I don't think Kimi would do well in what I see as Vettel's team.

I think the recent Michael Schumacher form shows how difficult it is to drive a car that is totally unsuited to your driving style. Now with some hindsight, Kimi did an excellent job in winning races and WDC in that Ferrari (likewise in 08/09).

But yes, 2005 was brilliant.

I had the exact same feel too, gerry. Sometimes people overuse the statement that a great driver adjusts to the car no matter what and gets the maximum. Schumacher himself tries to change the car as much as possible to his liking. Why would someone change the car if they can adapt to anything? Why would a great driver like Schumacher adopt Barrichello's set up for some races if he could have solved all the problems by himself? His present situation is another example. It's not just Schumacher, I just mentioned him as an example, almost all the drivers try to change the car to their liking. They do it all the time. They depend on the car's characteristics a lot. But a lot of armchair critics believe in the concept of superman and believe drivers solve all the problems.

Topic is Kimi Raikkonen - please keep to it.

Posts deleted

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HMNWgp0hl4

Nice one: Three questions to Kimi Räikkönen ahead of Rally Turkey

Hehe, they should put an umbrella girl there, giving some shade to the working man

Rally Turkey Shakedown times:

Interim results of the shakedown
1st Sebastian Loeb Citroen C4 WRC 2:30.8 2:30.8
2nd Dani Sordo Citroen C4 WRC 2:31.1 2:31.1
3rd Mikko Hirvonen Ford Focus RS WRC 2:31.7 2:31.7
4th Henning Solberg Ford Focus RS WRC 2:32.2 2:32.2
5th Sebastien Ogier Citroen C4 WRC 2:32.5 2:32.5
5th Petter Solberg Citroen C4 WRC 2:32.5 2:32.5
7th Jari-Matti LatvalaFord Focus RS WRC 2:33.1 2:33.1
7th Kimi Raikkonen Citroen C4 WRC 2:33.1 2:33.1
9th Federico Villagra Ford Focus RS WRC 2:33.7 2:33.7
10th Matthew Wilson Ford Focus RS WRC 2:35.2 2:35.2
11th Ken Block Ford Focus RS WRC 2:38.5 2:38.5

Me thinks that he is going for some pace this time!! So he might make it or wreck it

Amazingly close, first 9 within 3 seconds.

http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/pressinformation/wrcpressinfo/2010/turkey/Pages/conf1.aspx
Q:
Kimi, we are now on round four of the Championship, how are you enjoying your WRC experience so far?
KR:
Yes. I mean, for sure it has been very challenging, I knew that before, so it’s not a big surprise. We will look for more points if we finish the races. I am learning all the time. It’s getting a little bit easier.
Q:
You said at the start of the year this would be your biggest career challenge to date, is it proving to be?
KR:
All of the time it changes, the surface, the stages, everything is coming at a similar level of difficulty. I have no idea for more or less [difficulty on] any rallies; it’s not one thing which is more difficult than others. I just have to drive.
Q:
What about this rally?
KR:
It’s a bit easier than the previous rally – very fast and quite rough in places. I guess that’s rally. I hope we can go well.
Q:
Was Jordan the toughest?
KR:
Yes. It was probably the most difficult thing so far, in that way this event looks slightly more easy.
Q:
How are your pace notes progressing?
KR:
It’s the same story as driving: I have to do every event with new notes, so I am learning all of the time. It gets easier, but for sure, there is still lots to learn. This is one of the most important parts of the weekend, it’s experience and more to learn.
Q:
We passed the F1 track on the way to shakedown this morning. Do you miss F1?
KR:
No. I don’t miss it. If I missed it I wouldn’t be here, I’d be there. This is something I chose for myself and I’m enjoying it.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR:

Fred Billet
Echappement, France
Q:
Kimi, will you commit to the WRC for several seasons?
KR:
Like I said before, I haven’t made my kind up for next year and I’m not in a hurry to decide. Like I said, so far, I enjoy the challenge. It’s going to be difficult to learn everything, but we are learning
Q:
Kimi, what do you think of the tactics?
KR:
I don’t have to worry about those things, hopefully at the end of the year maybe I will have to worry about them! All the motor sport has those things, this is part of the game. You can make the rules, but there are many ways to go around the rules.

Ain't that the truth!

Heres hoping for a good Turkish rally from Kimi.

Doesn't miss F1 or he would be there... I can dig it. But hopefully THAT changes,lol. KIMI to F1, 2011 !!!!

7th in shakedown is cool...

Turkey 2010: Kimi's view of shakedown
http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=300&a...0of%20shakedown

Seriously, the person responsible for that stupid in car camera view should be be smeared in honey and put on an ant stack. I can not watch it, 90% of the pictures is statics.

Agree.

Maybe it's better to watch the press conference....

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=300&a...ss%20conference LOL at the end

He´s said it million ways..in million interviews. It really is up to him. Speaks like that when it comes to future, when it comes to present.

I´m 98,7 percent he sure knows already where he´ll be next season. Whether it is in WRC, F1 or at his wife´s stables.

The last picture is very funny..

SS3:

S. OGIER - 8:11.2
D. SORDO - 8:13.2
P. SOLBERG - 8:13.7
M. HIRVONEN - 8:15.5
S. LOEB - 8:17.4
J. LATVALA - 8:19.8
M. WILSON - 8:21.6
K. RAIKKONEN - 8:29.0
F. VILLAGRA - 8:29.2

SS4:

P. SOLBERG - 4:45.0
S. OGIER - 4:45.4
D. SORDO - 4:46.4
S. LOEB - 4:46.7
M. HIRVONEN - 4:47.7
J. LATVALA - 4:50.5
F. VILLAGRA - 4:53.0
K. RAIKKONEN - 4:56.9
M. WILSON - 5:02.7

There is no way Kimi is coming back, tbh I wont blame him. Just looking at him relaxing in that picture says it all. People who keep saying he would come back dont have a clue. There is more to life than F1. Everyone retires at some point. He is very rich, enjoying his new racing, in fact, he enjoyed rallying more when he was an F1 driver. Why one earth would be want to come back to F1? It makes zero sense!

Only said that his comments on this thing has been all the same. I´m sure he knows what to do.. Google some pics with words "kimi" and "ice-cream". What You will find, is a very relaxed guy..

After SS5

1. 7 Sebastien OGIER M 36:26.3 0.0 0.0
2. 2 Dani SORDO M 36:29.3 +3.0 +3.0
3. 3 Mikko HIRVONEN M 36:32.1 +2.8 +5.8
4. 1 Sebastien LOEB M 36:38.2 +6.1 +11.9
5. 11 Petter SOLBERG 36:41.0 +2.8 +14.7
6. 4 Jari Matti LATVALA M 36:41.8 +0.8 +15.5
7. 9 Federico VILLAGRA 37:25.8 +44.0 +59.5
8. 5 Matthew WILSON M 37:32.6 +6.8 +1:06.3
9. 8 Kimi RAIKKONEN M 37:41.6 +9.0 +1:15.3
10. 39 Alex RASCHI 59:18.4 +21:36.8 +22:52.1

And after SS6:
1. 7 Sebastien OGIER 41:00.9 0.0 0.0
2. 2 Dani SORDO 41:05.9 +5.0 +5.0
3. 3 Mikko HIRVONEN 41:08.6 +2.7 +7.7
4. 4 Jari Matti LATVALA 41:18.5 +9.9 +17.6
5. 1 Sebastien LOEB 41:19.0 +0.5 +18.1
6. 11 Petter SOLBERG 41:20.3 +1.3 +19.4
7. 9 Federico VILLAGRA 42:10.0 +49.7 +1:09.1
8. 8 Kimi RAIKKONEN 42:28.0 +18.0 +1:27.1
9. 5 Matthew WILSON 42:31.7 +3.7 +1:30.8
10. 40 Ott TANAK 44:32.4 +2:00.7 +3:31.5

SS6:

S. OGIER - 4:34.6
M. HIRVONEN - 4:36.5
D. SORDO - 4:36.6
J. LATVALA - 4.36.7
P. SOLBERG - 4:39.3
S. LOEB - 4.40.8
F. VILLAGRA - 4:44.2
K. RAIKKONEN - 4:46.4
M. WILSON - 4:59.1

Kimi has now passed Wilson in the overall standings.

That seems seriouly fast!

Go kimi. But keep in the points!

How risky will it be to become 7th tomorrow...?

Villagra, Räikkönen and Wilson seem to be having a nice little scrap for that best-of-the-rest position behind the top 6 who're in a league of their own. Unlike in his previous rallies, my boy's actually seemed quite consistent today. Previously he's always been a bit up-and-down: fast on a special stage, then losing chunks of time on the next stage, then sort of fast again. Today he's been solid, no major eff-ups and consistently up (or down, depending on what you expect) there with that Wilson kid - almost looks like a real WRC driver!

Right, that should jinx him.

Give your boy a few more rallies and he will be a real wrc driver. He's doing well already.

edit:
SS8 just 2,9 off Latvalla and faster than wilson/villagra.

Isnt there another stage SS9 today?

there is one super special starting around 8pm. Please take a look at http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=404&a...amp;rally_id=TR

Nice job for Kimi on Day One. 7th in that last stage...

It'll be interesting to see what he can do on the tarmac stages.

Kimi 5th in the super special, 5s faster than Wilson and 7s faster than Villagra, a good way to finish what was quite a good day

He's got a 14s margin on Wilson now, and needs to make up only 8s to Villagra for seventh!

Kimi and Solberg on SS9:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1zLx-hiAPc

cool...

I'm finally impressed by his times today. Right about at the 1s/km off the pace mark for half the stages, and under that mark for SS8. Genuinely beating Wilson and putting the pressure on Villagra. That is good.

This is day 1 though, I get the feeling that Loeb and maybe some others are sandbagging again, as always on the first day - I'm not sure what are the positions on the road for everyone neither.

- Kimi was brave because he had the guts to put his head into the guillotine. His performances are constantly critisised, Lindström said meaning Kimi's switch from F1 to WRC.

- It's easier day by day. This has been challenging but it didn't come as any surprise. I learn something new all the time, Räikkönen said.

- If we get to the finish line I'm sure we get a good position and points, Lindström reminded.

According to Lindström Räikkönen is lifting up his level all the time. He has to spare his gas-foot less and less.

- We have gone forward in notes. Kimi does them remarkably better. And he has improved even more in listening to notes.

- We have done a few jumps for the audience. They don't exactly belong to rally. Yet everybody has brakes. Hopefully the arrangements go well too, Lindström said.

*

Räikkönen has been satisfied with the rally so far. The man revealed that all the stages weren't without problems.

- In the first stage I hit a rock but it didn't create any problems.

It took a piece from his tyre.

*

Big rocks give the drivers a headache in rally Turkey. Kaj Lindström admitted that it's banging all the time. So far the top cars have put up with the banging.

- The big rocks are bad of course. You can't drive around them. You just have to drive over them, Lindström said.

- There were some rocks. You can't really drive around them. They are in the middle of the road, Räikkönen agreed.

- It's been ok. The second stage was a bit tricky. I couldn't really drive, Räikkönen kicked himself.

(Translation thanks to Nicole)