RAIKKONEN INTERVIEW: Race Results **SPOILER** | FerrariChat

RAIKKONEN INTERVIEW: Race Results **SPOILER**

Discussion in 'F1' started by RP, Mar 30, 2009.

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  1. RP

    RP F1 World Champ

    Feb 9, 2005
    17,667
    Bocahuahua, Florxico
    Full Name:
    Tone Def
    Q. What happened in the race?

    Kimi Raikkonen: It was my mistake to hit the wall, it was just sudden but I spun. Looking afterwards we would probably have finished second, and it is a shame.

    Q. And for the championship it is a very bad start?

    KR: Yes, but there is not much you can do. We try to do better at the next race but definitely one of the hardest races I have done in a while.

    Q. What do you think about the challenge of Brawn Grand Prix?

    KR: I haven't seen their laptimes but it looks like they won it pretty easily. This circuit is different compared to the others. We sometimes see that we have a hard time here but when we go to more normal circuit it seems to turn out pretty okay. Let's wait and see until the next race, and see what we can do and then make more decisions. It is a shame that I went off. We lost some valuable points, but that is racing.

    Q. Brawn GP won without KERS. How did you find it?

    KR: It worked well at the start. There was just no space to go as I got a good start, but there were too many cars in front so I could not use it. Like I said before, we would not use it if it was not a help for us so it was working okay.

    Q. Could you explain to us the strategy about using the softer tyres at the beginning when it was hotter?

    KR: Well, because we have difficulties with the hard tyres to get them working. In that kind of case, we need to wait and wait and not push - so it was going to be difficult. When we go out from the pit lane with the new tyres it is going to be okay, but for us for sure it was a better choice to take the soft tyre.

    Q. How was the performance, as you said after qualifying you thought your race pace would be better?

    KR: I don't have a really clear picture. I haven't seen the lap times that everybody was doing, as I was behind (Robert) Kubica and he was pulling away a little bit. But I think he was pretty fast any how. I don't know where we are on speed, I haven't had time to look, but for sure we are not where we want to be. We still have some work to do but we will see what we can do at the next races.

    Q. When you spun did you have a problem with the differential, or was it after that?

    KR: I don't know. I hit the wall quite hard after I spun, so I just suddenly lost the rear end and it is tricky with those tyres. I don't know – it was probably my mistake. It is just a shame.

    Q. Massa said on Saturday that the championship could be finished quite early with the pace of the Ross Brawn. What do you say about that?

    KR: I don't know. It is only one race, so let's see what happens.

    Q. Chris Dyer thought something might have broken at the back of your car. What happened there?

    KR: I don't know. I went as normal as always in the corner, and then suddenly I just completely lost the rear. Probably it was my mistake. I wouldn't put it to anything else, but it is funny how there was no warning. Usually you feel something if there is a bit of wheel spin but it just went and there was nothing I could do. I just tried to avoid the wall, but I couldn't.

    Q. How was the pace otherwise?

    KR: It was a shame as we could probably have finished second in the end, but the speed on hard tyres – Kubica was pulling away a little bit, but then I think he did the fastest lap, so I haven't had time to see at all what the others were doing. For sure we still have work to do, but this circuit is not normal compared to other normal circuit we have seen. We have had a hard time here before and then it is okay when we go to normal circuits. Hopefully that will turn out to be the same this year.

    Q. How were the tyres working?

    KR: Both tyres were quite difficult. The soft is pretty good from the beginning but then it goes away a lot, and the hard one is quite tricky. You lose the grip sometimes and it is not easy to use for us. Like I said, it was for sure a difficult race – it taught us a lot but maybe it is going to be different when we go to normal circuits like Malaysia.

    Q. How do you see Brawn GP?

    KR: If they are 1-2 in qualifying and 1-2 in the race then they are pretty strong – but we saw that already in testing, so it is not a surprise.

    Q. How long will it take to catch them?

    KR: We will see how is it in the next race. It all depends on the rules, what the rules are going to be in the future, there are a lot of question marks about what you are allowed to do and what not. So let's wait and see.
     
  2. AlexO91

    AlexO91 F1 Rookie

    Sep 26, 2008
    2,909
    NW England
    Full Name:
    Alex
    Good interview, that mistake MIGHT not have totally been his fault after all. He started alot of answers with "i don't know" lol. They'll bounce back for sure in the next race or two. Thanks for sharing! :)
     
  3. aquapuss

    aquapuss Formula 3

    Sep 18, 2005
    1,256
    Translation: "The car does not handle well." :-(
     
  4. DeSoto

    DeSoto F1 Veteran

    Nov 26, 2003
    7,481
    I really hope that it was a problem with the car, I´m getting tired of Raikkonen´s mistakes.
     
  5. R2112

    R2112 Formula 3

    Oct 15, 2006
    2,422
    TX
    iMO, Kimi is not known for throwing his team "under the bus". Even when it's the car or the teams fault he usually takes the blame. He will be great again this season...as long as Ferrari can get their act and car together. Which I believe they will very quickly.
     
  6. ferraridude615

    ferraridude615 F1 Veteran

    May 4, 2006
    5,836
    Texas
    Kimi drove a pretty solid race and without the accident he gets a podium position. He could have made a play at the front because he was already done with his stint on the super softs. Kimi is a great driver and will show it this season.
     
  7. AlexO91

    AlexO91 F1 Rookie

    Sep 26, 2008
    2,909
    NW England
    Full Name:
    Alex
    +1
     
  8. Tipo815

    Tipo815 F1 Rookie

    Nov 1, 2003
    3,565
    Newport Beach, CA
    Full Name:
    Jeffrey
    As Kimi mentioned it's hard to draw comprehensive conclusions from one race and a race that's not on a traditional track. Ferrari has always struggled in Australia so I think he's right to be cautiously optimistic about their chances in the upcoming venues.
     
  9. ScuderiaRossa

    ScuderiaRossa Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Mar 22, 2001
    2,225
    He wasn't asked, and didn't mention, his contact with Rubens. I wonder if that had anything to do with his spin?
     
  10. SrfCity

    SrfCity F1 World Champ

    He certainly doesn't sound in control. Nor does he seem convinced of what it'll take to win again. His lack of car development skills are probably holding them back a bit.
     
  11. rmani

    rmani F1 Veteran
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Nov 1, 2003
    7,299
    NJ
    Full Name:
    RMani

    +1
     

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