Kimi Raikkonen News: quotes

Kimi Raikkonen's Formula 1 comeback was one of the biggest stories of the 2012 season.

He finished a remarkable third in the world championship and even flirted with a title tilt at times, winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to cap a remarkable year.

While the Finn is famous for being monosyllabic, he still came out with plenty of memorable comments over the course of the season.

Kimi Raikkonen: 2012 in quotes

"There has always been talk about the motivation, but the people who write it don't even know me. There's always shit going on and I don't mind if people want to write it. What can I do? I would have stopped if I felt that I didn't have the motivation."

Telling AUTOSPORT pre-season that he has no problems with motivation

"I feel comfortable here which helps me to focus on racing; I guess that's why people seem to think I'm a different person, but I'm just as focused and motivated as before."

Free to express himself at Lotus after the first two races of the year

"If you asked me before the start of the season whether I would be happy with podiums I would have said yes, but now I've had some good results, I want more."

Wanting wins mid-season

"I have no reason to say I wouldn't try. I'm not here just to drive around."

Trying to win the world championship

"People always say there's something special about me and Spa. I like the circuit but I wouldn't put my money on myself this year or any other year, even though I've won there before. It's not like I'm much better there than anyone else!"

Downplaying his Spa prowess despite his four Belgian Grand Prix wins

"He kept coming left more and more. I tried to go further left but I had nowhere to go."

Explaining the clash with Fernando Alonso at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix

"I would rather be out of second or third place so I don't have to go to the prizegiving."

Hoping that he wouldn't have to go to the FIA prize gala... something he ultimately did have to do!

"Leave me alone. I know what I'm doing."

Asking for peace over the radio while leading the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

"Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes. I'm doing it all the time."

Insisting that he didn't need reminding to keep his tyres warm during the safety car period in Abu Dhabi

"I'm happy, but there's nothing to jump around about."

Celebrating his first grand prix win since Belgium 2009 in Abu Dhabi

"Where I went off, you can get back on the track by going through the support race pitlane, but you have to go through a gate. I know this as I did the same thing in 2001 and the gate was open that year. Somebody closed it this time. Next year, I'll make sure it's open again."

Getting lost while trying to rejoin the track during the Brazilian Grand Prix

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Q. Kimi, back on the front row for the first time since Magny-Cours.

Kimi RAIKKONEN: Yes, it is nice to be back. But I mean it is still not where I want to be. Still second but still not very happy with how things are going. I am still not happy with the car and it is quite frustrating. Usually the qualifying has been the worst place for us but we should be strong in the race. But we will see what we can do tomorrow and hopefully we will get a good race. Like I said, it has not been easy lately in the races but we have done a lot of work and finally we have got a little result out of it, so it is good to be here and it is a good place to start with tomorrow.

Q. Kimi, you were quickest for a while in Q3. But can you be a bit more specific about how it went?

KR: I mean the issue what we have has been there always, so it has not really changed much. It is something that of course when you go into qualifying you cannot change much anymore and you need to live with it and try to get the best out of it. Both laps were pretty okay but there is for sure improvements if we get the things as we want. But like I said, we are in a good place for the race

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Q. What is your mindset going into the race as mathematically you are still in with a chance of the championship?

KR: Like I say, I don't have much to lose. For sure we want to try to win both championships but it is not going to be easy against McLaren. But I will do the best job I can tomorrow and hopefully we can fight for the win and if we can get it, that would be nice. But I don't look to the championship that much now. I just try and go and win some races and finish with a nice three last races of the season. That would be good.

Q. Kimi, Ferrari very quick in Q2 on low tanks but you didn't seem quite as happy on heavier tanks.

KR: I think I was happier with more fuel in the car. I'm still not where I want to be but it's been fighting, fighting all the time with the car but little by little we will get to where we want to be in the end. Two second places is still good but the car is still not where I want it to be.

Q. Nothing you can do to the car between now and the race, so will it better on the full tanks?

KR: Usually in the race it turns out to be not too bad but qualifying has been the most difficult thing for us, not just this year but also last year. We are still looking and trying to find exactly where I want to be. When you end up in qualifying after this morning, we were not one hundred per cent sure where we wanted to be and of course you cannot change the car much, so it wasn't easy but we're pretty happy that we've got second place after all the work that we have done and try to improve different things for me and it seemed to work a little bit.

Q. What are your own tactics going to be during these last three races; mathematically you still have a chance for the championship?

KR: I think it's as small as it was last year but it seemed to happen last year, so I try to win races and that's all really. We want to win both championships as a team, so we will see what we can do. I think that we should have a strong car tomorrow and we see if we can win, it would be nice, but if not, we try to take the maximum points from the races but we definitely just want to go for wins in the last three races and see where we end up.

Q. (Juha Päätalo – Financial Times Deutschland) Kimi, when you say that the car feels better with a full load than without fuel, can you just describe the difference between those two situations? How much easier is it with the fuel load?

KR: The set-up or the handling is better with the fuel than without quite often for me, so that's the difference.

10/11/2008 03:03:00 p.m. No comments

Kimi Raikkonen endured another torrid weekend at Monza, finishing outside the points for the third race running.
With his title hopes all but gone, the Ferrari driver told a group of reporters after the race that his main focus is to now solve his problems rather than worry about retaining his title.

Q. Are you satisfied with your race?

Kimi Raikkonen: Do you think I am?

Q. I am wondering?

KR: For sure we are not happy. But fortunately this is the result. In the end the car was good again but we seem to have a problem to get the tyres working. Once they switch on, it is okay. But if they don't work, then there is nothing I can do.

Q. Q. Are you still thinking of the championship, or more about helping your teammate?

KR: I am just trying to get the things right, that is the main thing. I am not thinking about anything right now. Hopefully we will get the car working. It works when the tyre works but we cannot switch the tyres on and then everything goes wrong after that. I am not really interested to think about what we are going to do in the next few races. Hopefully we can get everything right, and have some more fun again.

Q. How much is Ferrari's wet-weather performance compromising the team's championship hopes?

KR: It is not the first time for us. Sometimes it works and sometimes not, and we don't really have an explanation about why it doesn't work, and why the tyres work sometimes. I think it is not about the car not being good in some conditions, it is just to get the whole combination working together and usually we then get good results. Today was one of those. In the end, it was good but it was 40 laps too late.

Q. What are your feelings about Toro Rosso's victory? Is it embarrassing being beaten by a customer team?

KR: It was good for them, but nothing apart from the engine is from Ferrari. That is all. I think it is more an issue for Red Bull as they have the same car, so for sure we would rather be winning here but we could not.

Q. How long did it take for the tyres to come in?

KR: At the end they only started to work. They didn't have any proper grip during the first or the second stint. The second was slightly better than the first stint, but at that point it was quite late. Once we got the intermediates, first it took a while and then once they start working it is like a switch - from one lap to another it is a completely different feeling with the car and then we can push again. If we could do it straight away it would help.

Q. Is it all about the tyres then?

KR: Like I said, it helps us to get the tyre working and then everything turns good again. If we can get the tyres working straight away that will be a big help and a completely different story, but we could not today. Hopefully in the future we are able to do it.

Q. What do you think about your championship situation?

KR: It is not good, but we keep trying and hopefully we can have good races at the end of the year and that would be a nice thing. It hasn't been lately so easy, so that is what we are aiming for.

Q. Are you worried about the situation for the future, especially having just extended your contract?

KR: Well, of course I am happy otherwise I would not have signed it. This year has not been easy for us, but that is racing and it sometimes goes like that. Next year is a different story and after that we will see what we can do.

Q. Are you going to help Felipe Massa?

KR: I don't know. We will see what happens.

9/14/2008 09:32:00 p.m. No comments

Kimi Raikkonen: "I always like coming back to Silverstone. It's a great track and it has always been working out for me since the beginning of my career. I've raced the first time here when I was in Formula Renault and it was my preferred track: fast and demanding. Winning at Silverstone gives you a great feeling, because to get there you have to do everything perfectly.

"I did it with Formula Renault and last year with Ferrari. It's one of the fastest and most difficult tracks on the race calendar. I don't know why, but I'm a bit nostalgic every time I come back. I like being here whatever the weather is like. At least that's the same for everybody.

"We've done some tests here last week. There was lots of wind and it was quite difficult to test all the new parts we brought with us. But I think that we've taken a small step ahead and it seems to me that the car is very competitive.

"Last year it went very well for us at Silverstone and obviously I'd like to repeat that result! I made a small mistake in Qualifying, when I took the last corner too wide and I lost the Pole Position, but once we had considered the fuel on board I was still faster than Hamilton. Then with the empty track ahead I could give it all and win the race.

"As far as we can tell after our tests last week there will be a tough fight between us and McLaren. That's not a surprise because traditionally these two teams always went well here in England. It will be about tenths of a second again. We'll fight for Pole Position and this time we need to use the track to our advantage.

"I'll give it all to stay ahead in Qualifying. Starting from the Pole does make the race much easier, as we could see at Magny-Cours. I didn't win there, but I've already archived the disappointment. I'll arrive with a positive approach at Silverstone, because I know that I should have won in France. I'll use a new engine because the Team doesn't want to risk anything, although the rules say that you will not be punished if you have to change the engine.

"It's almost half way through the season now and there were ups and downs. That's quite normal and we are in a good position to fight for the title. I hope to win more races in the second half of the season, because we have a great car, able to fight for victory everywhere."

7/03/2008 10:32:00 p.m. No comments

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