Kimi Raikkonen hasn't missed Formula 1 in his two-year break - and yet the Finn enjoys his comeback tour. "From current perspective, I am exactly at the right place," the 32-year-old said in an interview with German Press Agency in Monte Carlo.

But family plans the 2007 World Champion has postponed for the time being. "I would like to become a father. But at the moment it is not the right time, as long as I'm racing," said the Lotus driver.

Your team principal has said, it was a risk to sign you. Was it like that also in your view?

Raikkonen: "I had a few options. With the other teams we have not found a way to agree on a contract. Then we talked with Lotus. We got along well in many points, then it's gone very quickly. From the current perspective, I am exactly at the right place. "

What stands out at Lotus in comparison to your previous employers in F1 such as Ferrari and McLaren?

Raikkonen: "Every team has its own charcter. Italian teams are different than English. Although McLaren is also an English team like Lotus, but is managed quite differently. At Lotus, people just want to go racing, the atmosphere is good. It is still a very big team, but the feeling is different. People are quite relaxed, very open. All teams are different, but in the end they want to achieve the same. There are simply many ways to it. I'm happy where I am. "

Lotus let you be more yourself?

Raikkonen: "I try to live my life the way I want. Sometimes people make it hard for you. Here I can do my own thing, live a normal life like other people too. I do my job as always. I expect a few things from the team, they expect certain things from me. 24 hours I don't have to work here. "

How important is this freedom for you?

Raikkonen: "That is important for everyone. If you get put in jail, nobody is happy. The important thing is simply that I am happy with what I do. "

Did you expect to drive at the top so soon after your comeback again?

Raikkonen: "If you go to one of the last three teams, one knows to 110 percent that it will not work. To be in a good team, it's a lot easier. Lotus is strong, they were already strong, when I raced against them. There are still the same people there. When they do everything right, you know that you will be at the front. "

Do you see yourself as a real title contender because of the tight field?

Raikkonen: "The season is still so long. We are far from being a top team. We do not have all the opportunities that have the big teams. We have some good plans. So far we have managed to improve the car. Whether I can fight at the front until the end, I do not know. If we continue like this, we might have a chance. "

How have you changed in the two years of Formula 1 break?

Raikkonen: "I do not think I've changed. Of course you get older. Things in life change. But my driving style is still the same. I do not work differently than before. Sometimes with more success, sometimes just with less. "

What would be a perfect day for you?

Raikkonen: "There's a lot. I often like to just stay home and do nothing. And sometimes that bores me and I just go out. I like things such as motocross or snowmobile, anything with a motor. The speed makes it exciting. "

Can you imagine to start a family soon?

Raikkonen: "I would like to become a father. But at the moment it is not the right time, as long as I'm racing. The children are young only once, and then I would hardly see them because I'm never at home. Formula 1 is not the place for a family. I enjoy spending time with children, my brother has some. But for me the time has not come yet. "

Do you think F1 has missed you in the past two years?

Raikkonen: "I don't know, I don't care. I have not missed it. I'm not here because I want to do someone a favor. I do that for myself "