Kimi Raikkonen didn't make his Formula One comeback with Williams, because Lotus was offering him a more competitive car.

That is the claim of Adam Parr, the former Williams chairman who now admits to trying to secure the services of the 2007 World Champion at the end of 2011.

Ultimately, the Williams talks collapsed and former McLaren and Ferrari driver Raikkonen, now 33, returned to F1 after a two-year rallying hiatus last year with Lotus.

Famous for his laconic and truly unique personality, he surprised many in 2012 by winning in Abu Dhabi and finishing his return season with third place in the World Championship.

Briton Parr, who left his role as Williams chairman early last year and is now promoting a book, confirmed he had talks with the Finn about driving for the famous British team in 2012.

"I wanted to bring Kimi to Williams in 2012," he is quoted as saying by Italy's Autosprint, "but I could not guarantee a competitive car for him.

"When I spoke with him, I was impressed by his hunger and his determination," said Parr.

"Nevertheless, his value at the time remained unclear, and we didn't know just how strong our car would be."

In 2012, Pastor Maldonado won the Spanish Grand Prix and, alongside Bruno Senna, the pair helped Williams to finish eighth in the constructors' World Championship.

With Lotus, Raikkonen also won just a single race but also an impressive tally of 207 points.

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The Lotus F1 Team, which has gone by a few different names over time, had been in a coma since their last Formula 1 Driver’s Championship and Constructor’s Championship win in 1978 with Mario Andretti in the cockpit. That changed during the 2012 season though, as Lotus saw their popularity as well as their competitiveness soar, and there is a very simple explanation as to why: Kimi Raikkonen.
 Raikkonen is a longtime fan favorite in F1. He is known for his extravagant post-race “Kimi Parties” as well as not being a big fan of media interviews. He is a driver’s driver and tends to be very blunt and to the point in interviews. The Iceman has better things to do.
He got his start in Formula 1 when Sauber gave the then 22 year old Raikkonen a seat for the 2001 season. He scored nine Driver’s Championship points in his debut year, which was good enough to impress McLaren, who he would drive for from 2002-2006. Raikkonen then moved to Ferrari from 2007-2009, where he won the Driver’s Championship in his first year with the team. He took two years away from F1 in 2010 and 2011 to flirt with Rallying and NASCAR before coming back to his roots in Formula 1.
When it became public knowledge that Raikkonen would be returning to F1 speculation swirled as to which team he would land with. Initially it was rumored that he would be driving for Williams F1, but those whispers were proven false. Many thought Red Bull Racing would make room for him since he raced for Red Bull’s Rally team, but with both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber on multi-year contracts at the time Red Bull had to pass on the Iceman. There was talk of him finding a home back with McLaren or Ferrari, but in the end it was Lotus, who had just wrapped up a dispute over naming rights in 2011, who snagged Raikkonen on a two-year deal.

Read more at http://www.rantsports.com/nascar/2013/01/15/the-revival-of-the-lotus-formula-1-team-has-a-name-kimi-raikkonen/?7jK64eybUsQu2J5W.99

Red Bull's Mark Webber and Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus will be working with new Formula One race engineers this season after their previous ones swapped teams.

Red Bull said Ciaron Pilbeam, who has worked with Webber since 2007, had taken a new role at Lotus while Raikkonen's 2012 race engineer Simon Rennie had moved in the opposite direction to team up with Webber.

Rennie was previously a race engineer with double world champion Fernando Alonso at Renault, the team that is now Lotus, as well as Poland's Robert Kubica.

Last season he was famously rebuffed by 2007 champion Raikkonen, who told him over the radio that he knew what he was doing and to leave him alone while on his way to winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Lotus later gave all their employees T-shirts with "Just leave me alone, I know what I'm doing" written on them.

Drivers spend much of their grand prix weekends with their race engineers, working together on the set up of the car and strategy.

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Kimi Raikkonen will take part in an oval ice race in Moscow next month.

The Lotus Formula 1 driver will be the star guest at the 'Race of Stars' event organised by Russian magazine Za Rulem.

The event takes place at the Moscow Hippodrome on February 23, just after the second winter F1 test ends.

Anastasia Bendikova, CEO of event promoter SC ASPAS, said Raikkonen had a huge Russian fanbase, second only in motor racing to Fernando Alonso.

"No doubt it is a unique opportunity for all Kimi's Russian fans to see him in the flesh in Moscow and on the race track in action earlier than 2014, when the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi will take place," said Bendikova.

Caterham F1 driver Charles Pic will also take part, alongside Russia's leading motorsport stars, including F1 man Vitaly Petrov, World Rally Championship frontrunner Evgeny Novikov and Red Bull protege Daniil Kvyat.

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Kimi Raikkonen has been revealed as the biggest name to sign up for an oval ice race in the Russian capital Moscow.

The 'Race of Stars' event will take place at the Moscow Hippodrome next month, with Raikkonen the headline act amongst those drivers invited to take part.

New Caterham signing Charles Pic will also be in action for the event, as will WRC star Evgeny Novikov.

“No doubt this is a unique opportunity for all Kimi's Russian fans to see him in the flesh in Moscow and on-track earlier than 2014, when the Russian GP in Sochi will take place,” Anastasia Bendikova, CEO of event promoter SC ASPAS, said.

“The snowy weather provides us with a good surface for racing on the Hippodrome and we hope our guests enjoy the day.”

The format of the event compares closely with that of the Andros Trophy, which takes place annually in France, with the one exception that all competitors have to be invited to take part by the chief editor of Za Rulem magazine.

This year about fifty Russian drivers received invitations, including Vitaly Petrov, Novikov, Roman Rusinov and Daniil Kvyat. The two F1 drivers will take part in the promotional 'Super Finals', which will feature sports cars built by Renault in Russia. They will then go head-to-head with the best of the Russians.

Previous international guests include Alain Prost, Sebastien Loeb, Nelson Piquet Jr, David Coulthard, Romain Grosjean, Jerome d'Ambrosio and Kamaz's Dakar stars Vladimir Chagin and Firdaus Kabirov.

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Lotus will today become the first F1 team to unveil the car it hopes will take it to 2013 world championship glory, when the wraps come off the new E21 at its Enstone base.

Unusually, the team - which finished third in the 2012 drivers' standings with returnee Kimi Raikkonen - have opted for a late launch in as far as fans will have to wait until 1915hrs GMT to catch a glimpse of the black-and-gold machine.

The unveiling will stream live via Lotus F1's official YouTube channel, and also be broadcast live in the UK by Sky Sports News. Both Raikkonen and second-year team-mate Romain Grosjean will be present at the launch, along with team principal Eric Boullier.

With the first test of the season due to kick off next Tuesday (5 February), Lotus will steal a three-day march on its rivals, with McLaren the next to launch on Thursday (31 January). Ferrari will unveil its car a day later again, with world champions Red Bull scheduled to pull back the covers on the successor to its RB8 on Sunday (3 February).

Engineers for the 2013 Lotus E21 car worked overtime to create a unique Formula One driving experience for Lotus F1 drivers Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean.

It takes a close examination of the buttons on the new steering wheel (click on the photo to get a larger version) to appreciate the number of high-tech gadgets on this year's model, which was launched on Monday.

New for 2013 are buttons and knobs which allow the drivers to phone home, order ice cream and even do a little in-car tweeting during a race.
Our favorite gadget, hands down, is the Jenson button.


Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130128/f1/130129798#ixzz2JxJa8KdW

Kimi Raikkonen's two-year contract with Lotus expires at the end of 2013, but the Finn sees no reason why his Formula 1 comeback will end at the same time.

Speaking to the press as Lotus launched its new E21 chassis, Raikkonen said he very much enjoyed his return to the F1 fold in 2012, and is hopeful of enjoying the new season every bit as much.

"I'm not really thinking beyond this season at the moment, but I'm sure there will be talk before the end of the year," he said. "I enjoyed my comeback to Formula 1 last year and there's no reason to say I shouldn't enjoy the 2013 season too."

With big plans afoot for F1 in 2014, Raikkonen sees no reason why the coming season will be his last.

"I know there will be big changes to the cars and regulations for 2014, so who's to say that won't be exciting," he added.

Raikkonen turned his back on the sport when he left Ferrari at the end of 2009. He switched to the World Rally Championship with Citroen, but his performances were inconsistent.

A foray into into the NASCAR Truck Series and a test in Peugeot's Le Mans contender proved brief diversions before his ultimate return to F1 with Lotus in 2012.

Asked what his thoughts were heading into the new season with Lotus, Raikkonen said: "I'm feeling pretty good.

"Last year was my return to Formula 1 and it went pretty well. This year will be my second with Lotus F1 Team and my eleventh season overall in Formula 1 so I've got a pretty good idea of what to expect.

"I'm sure it will be an exciting season and I'm sure there'll be lots to talk about.

"For me, I will continue to do the best I can; let's see how good our car is, and how good the cars of the opposition are too."

Raikkonen said he is happy at Lotus, and there was a feeling of continuity and progression that bodes well for the coming season.

"It helps," he said of having a year's experience with Lotus behind him.

"It's not a massive thing which will suddenly mean you start winning all the races, but it's nice to be at the same team as you understand how they work, and they understand how you work.

"We quickly developed a pretty good way of working together last year and there's no reason to think that won't continue this season."

While Raikkonen was quick to point out that he was no rookie, the 2007 world champion added that being a F1 driver never stops being a learning experience.

"I don't think you ever stop learning," he said.

"I don't think I could say I'm a rookie. We had new tracks last year; that's always something nice to learn and for me best learnt on the tracks themselves. There will be a new car which we'll want to develop and get working at its best. There are always changes in the sport; some small, some big.

"Generally everything's pretty similar, and the feeling of racing on track is pretty familiar."

Asked what his goals for the coming season were, Raikonnen said: "To do the best job I can. "I've not driven the E21 yet so it's difficult to say what could or could not be possible. We know we had a good car last season, but everyone is working hard to make the best car.

"I will be working with the team to help get the car as strong as we can, then in Melbourne we'll have our first taste of results. It's a long season from there. 2012 was a good start; let's see what we can do in 2013."

Lotus finished an impressive fourth in in the constructors' title race last year, and with Lewis Hamilton's departure from McLaren, there is hope they can go one better in 2013.

Asked whether McLaren are now less formidable without Hamilton, Raikkonen said: "Hopefully, yes.

"We will wait and see in testing, and then go from there. It will be interesting to see what happens. It's not going to be easy to improve on what we did last year.

"But that's the aim, to do better, and hopefully we can do it. If you can qualify further up the grid, then it gives you a better chance to win races and makes your life a lot easier on race days.

"It's the whole package they've tried to make faster, and hopefully we've managed to do it."

And is Raikkonen looking forward to working with team-mate Romain Grosjean again?

"We had a pretty good relationship last year and it's clear he's fast and motivated," he said. "On track we were pretty close to each other at times but we didn't have any issues. It's good when you have a team-mate who's fast and works hard. I think we should be fine in 2013."

And what of those who doubted his ability to make a successful return to the sport?

"I knew I could still perform well in Formula 1 given the right opportunity," added the always stoic Finn. "It was only other people who had doubts."

Source: Lotus

Lotus F1 team principal Eric Boullier says they are ready to 'play with the big boys' in Formula 1 this year.

The Enstone team was the first to reveal its 2013 challenger yesterday, with Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean onhand to unveil the new E21.

What they revealed was a car similar in appearance to last year's E20, a result of barely altered regulations, but that didn't stop Boullier from being incredibly bullish about the season ahead.

"I think it is fair to say that great things are possible," the Frenchman said.

"The leap we made from 2011 to 2012 showed what we are capable of. Add to this the continuity and potential of our driver line-up and we have a very powerful cocktail for the season ahead.

"Our ambitious plan to turn ourselves into one of the top teams in F1 is coming to fruition and now we need to harness this with strong and regular podium results."

Boullier is confident that 2013 will be the year that Lotus really announces itself as a major contender.

"We are lean and hungry," he said. "Enstone knows how to win championships, but it is a while since we have won one, so we are very eager to taste glory again.

"We have a fantastic facility at Enstone, and one which has benefitted from significant and strategic investment over the past couple of years. We have a highly accomplished technical and design team who, last year, produced a fantastic car, the E20. The E21 builds on this.

"We also have a superb driver line-up with the 2007 champion, Kimi, and a hungry young gun in Romain. We have further strength in our partners and we are certainly primed and ready for action."

Boullier added that nothing less than an improvement on last year's fourth place finish in the Constructors' Championship would do.

"We want to do better than we did last year," he said.

"2012 was a good season for us - certainly in the context of the previous season - but we, like every team in this highly competitive sport, want to win. We want to make regular appearances on the podium, and add to our tally of appearances on the top step."

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Lotus' technical boss thinks many teams will continue to use 'step' noses in 2013.

The first 2013 car to be unveiled on Monday, Enstone based Lotus' E21 still features the indecorous 'step' synonymous with last year's grid, despite the FIA now allowing teams to please the fans by installing a so-called 'modesty' laminate.

It is believed that Williams and Ferrari will indeed race cars with smooth noses in 2013.

But Lotus' James Allison thinks the majority of the field will continue to feature questionable aesthetics.

"I would not be surprised if the majority of the grid chose not to make use of it (the modesty panel)," said the technical director.

"The panel will add a few grams of weight and so is only likely to run on the car if a team can find a performance benefit for doing so," added Allison.

The new Lotus E21, revealed during a Youtube launch on Monday evening, does however feature the Twitter hashtag #imsexyandiknowit on its livery.

Allison admitted the car is a combination of redesigned parts and evolution.

Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean will race, while the new GP2 champion Davide Valsecchi has signed up as 'third driver'.

Italian Valsecchi, 26, said: "I hope this is the beginning of a career in F1."

Belgian Jerome d'Ambrosio, however, retains his role as 'reserve driver', while Frenchman Nicolas Prost - the son of the famous four-time world champion Alain - "will perform development driver duties", Lotus announced.

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KIMI RAIKKONEN is nicknamed The Iceman for good reason — just ask Hollywood star Matt LeBlanc.
The popular American actor, who is also a big F1 fan, attempts to interview the 2007 world champion driver in a video for Lotus.

But Kimi is having none of it, refusing to answer any questions about his new drive for 2013 until a clearly frustrated LeBlanc walks away.

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Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus team won the race to be first to show off their 2013 Formula One car on Monday with a challenger that put performance over beauty and turned up its nose at cosmetic surgery.

In one of the few rule changes for the year ahead, teams are now allowed to use 'modesty panels' to streamline the ugly 'broken noses' that caused gasps of dismay when first sighted last season. The fairings, fitted over existing structures, do not affect the car's aerodynamics and teams are not obliged to use them.

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LOTUS last night was the first Formula One team to unveil their new machine for the season ahead.

Looking rather similar to last year’s Abu Dhabi-winning car, which helped Kimi Raikkonen to third in the Drivers’ Championship, the Lotus E21 has been transformed detail-by-detail to ‘provide a significant amount of performance’, according to Lotus technical director James Allison.

Lotus will add more technical upgrades in the next few weeks before heading to Australia.
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While there are no major visible innovations at present, with two months left to go before the season kicks off, the car is likely to look very different on the starting grid in Melbourne on March 17.

"The rules for 2013 are very, very similar to those for 2012," Allison said. "So you can expect a lot of family resemblance from the 2012 car, but as ever in F1 the devil is in the detail.

"There are some neat new ideas and some pushing of the same sort of concepts we have been working on for the last few years."

Teams will this season be allowed to use so-called ‘vanity panels’ to disguise the ugly steps on top of the noses that drew criticism last year – but Lotus have decided to steer clear of using the controversial panel.


Kimi Raikkonen shocked critics on his return season by finishing third in the championship.

Finishing fourth last year, Lotus has far bigger ambitions for the 2013 Formula One World Championship.

“We want to do better than we did last year,” explained Lotus F1 Team boss Eric Boullier. “2012 was a good season for us – certainly in the context of the previous season. Like every team in this highly competitive sport, we want to win.

“Our ambitious plan to turn ourselves into one of the top teams in Formula 1 is coming to fruition and now we need to harness this with strong and regular podium results.”

The team also took the bold decision to keep Frenchman Romain Grosjean, who made many clumsy errors last season – despite claiming several podiums. “Romain has superb raw speed which we are confident will be harnessed in a more effective manner during races in 2013,” Boullier said.

A beautiful car, Boullier explained: “We have a highly accomplished technical and design team who last year produced a fantastic car. We have a superb driver line-up with the 2007 champion, Kimi, and a hungry young gun in Romain. We have further strength in our partners and we are certainly primed and ready for action.

“It was clear how much we benefitted from having two very talented drivers in 2012 and I can only see this getting even better in 2013.”

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Finland's Kimi Raikkonen was crowned the Formula One world champion while driving for Ferrari in 2007.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS Kimi Raikkonen says he can win the world champions with Lotus The Finn was crowned drivers' champion with Ferrari in 2007 Raikkonen finished 2012 in third position, behind Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso His current deal with Lotus expires at the end of the season

Although he managed to finish third last season, the Finn was still a whopping 74 points behind world champion Sebastian Vettel, but former world champion Raikkonen remains confident that Lotus can challenge the sport's elite in the coming season.

"It's clear from working with them that they are racers, and you can see in their history that they've won championships," the Iceman said.

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Kimi Raikkonen’s absence from the WRC is likely to be for the long term after it emerged that he’s keen to carry on in Formula One beyond the end of the upcoming season.

Raikkonen spent two years in the WRC from 2010-2011 and while he struggled to replicate his F1 pace, he has yet to rule out a return to the sport in the future.

"I'm not really thinking beyond this season at the moment, but I'm sure there will be talk before the end of the year," Raikkonen was quoted saying on Autosport.com at the launch of the Lotus team’s new E21 chassis yesterday.

“I enjoyed my comeback to Formula One last year and there's no reason to say I shouldn't enjoy the 2013 season too. I know there will be big changes to the cars and regulations for 2014, so who's to say that won't be exciting.”

Did you know? Kimi asked his current team, Lotus, for permission to drive on Rally Finland last year. Unfortunately, Lotus didn’t play ball.

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Lotus may not have been first in the Formula 1 Constructor’s Championship last season, but they're the first team to reveal their new 2013 chassis – the E21.

Harkening back to liveries of the mid-seventies, the E21 retains the classic black and gold paint scheme, with an additional slight smattering of red accents. And, as last year, the new chassis os propelled by Renault’s 2.4L 90-degree V8 engine.

In the wake of the inconceivably ugly "platypus" stepped-nose design introduced last year, teams were given the option of running a so-called "modesty plate" on their 2013 cars to smooth the transition between the nose cone and main chassis. The Lotus E21 forgoes this, because lightness.

“We have not done it yet because the cosmetic panel would weigh a few grams and with a Formula One car putting a few grams on that you don’t need to is anathema to us,” explains James Allison, technical director of Lotus.

“However, if we find a cosmetic panel that looks nice but, much more importantly and crucially, develops a bit of downforce, then we’ll pop it on quick as you like,” he adds.

The 2013 Lotus F1 driver lineup remains unchanged with Kimi Raikkonen and Romain ‘Crash’ Grosjean teamed up for their second consecutive year.

The most fun thing about the E21? As shown the slideshow above, Kimi’s car has the best steering wheel ever.

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