| Interview with Kimi Raikkonen |
| Saturday, 30 June 2007 | |
 Kimi 's interview for Italian newspaper Tuttosport. This took place before the French Grand Prix. Kimi talks about his performances in Ferrari, about McLaren, about having children etc. (rough translation)Q: Kimi, you look happier than normal. KR: Why shouldn't I? Q: I guess it goes to show you have changed in recent times. KR: Have I? Q: Six years of Formula 1 changes everyone. KR: Not me. I continue to like the things that I liked six years ago: I enjoy myself with friends playing ice hockey. The difference now is that I don ’t have so much free time to do it anymore. {mos_sb_discuss:1} Q: Looking at what certain newspapers write, maybe it 's better this way. KR: Some papers are full of nonsense. Thank God I don ’t read much. Q: Have you ever thought of changing your attitude? KR: I can’t change my life depending on what people like and what they don’t. Even more, on certain papers. I will continue to do what I love. Q: You talk as if your life is difficult. KR: Well, it’s not all fun walking out of your house and seeing loads of people looking for sensational stories. But, I cannot call myself unlucky, obviously. Q: Do you see racing as a way to escape from that? KR: It’s one of the reasons why I’ve always wanted to be a driver. When you go in the car and drive, stop and talk with the engineers, the rest of the world stays outside. The only thing that counts is going fast. Q: But, at McLaren Ron Dennis was watching things closely and kept things tight. KR: Yes, but it’s normal for a boss to ask how things go exactly and where people that are working for him go. I have never felt surpressed. I just pushed my day forward, fighting in the way I liked. Of course, I could not be seen as a classic McLaren driver because of that. But when you let your head down you’re in trouble with Ron. Q: Have you ever feared that you could lose this independence going to Ferrari? KR: It hasn’t happened. On the contrary, at Ferrari I ’ve immediately understood that I have my freedom. The team has welcomed me very well, I feel well, everyone helps me in a constructive way and the atmosphere is how I like it: very friendly. Believe me, I haven’t found any difficulties in becoming part of the team. Q: You haven’t impressed in the way the fans expected you to. KR: I am the first to be dissapointed. But there are logical explanations, I haven’t simply unlearned how to drive during winter. All the problems are technically related: learning how to drive the Bridgestone tyres, the way the tyres influenced the regulations. And then some driver mistakes of course. Q: What is so difficult using the tyres ? KR: That you can’t find the limit, you don’t understand it, as long as you don’t push to the limit and stay on track. It’s a matter of getting used to it, but I will. Q: Do you need more time ? KR: At the moment I feel very well within the team. Also now the team had to reorganize with new people in new roles. But we’ve only made mistakes in a couple of races. It’s enough to have two races spot on to be back in the game. Q: So you think you can still win the championship? KR: I will try it. I can’t imagine McLaren reaching the end of the year without a technical problem. Q: Is it a big advantage to have your teammate in front of you ? KR: I wouldn’t say so. Massa and I work well together. Q: If you remained with McLaren you might have led the championship now. KR: I don’t think about that a lot. I am with Ferrari and don’t regret that. I wanted to change myself, I ’m happy to have done so. I knew very well that the two teams were at the same level. And that every once in two years McLaren is able to build a very fast car. I didn’t expect anything else than what has happened. Apart from a few results from my part. Q: And still, at McLaren there are people that say you would be faster than Senna, at Ferrari there are people that say you would be faster than Schumacher. KR: I’m honoured. But it’s not so unlikely to be the fastest and still lose. Success depends on a number of factors, the start of the season for instance. Q: The season has started better for Hamilton than for anyone else. Don’t you think it’s incredbile a rookie does so well ? KR: He’s good. He started in an ideal situation, in an ideal year. Had he made his debut in 2006, he would have suffered. He has been testing a lot on the tyres we use now and hardly did any testing with the Michelins. It doesn’t happen normally with rookies but McLaren is a first class team and their car is very strong. No, it’s not incredible. Q: Alonso and you were the new generation till the end of last year. And now comments go around that you are already retired! KR: The public has a short memory. Only the last two or three races count. Q: Have you ever heard someone in the team say: ‘Michael would have done it like this, Michael behaved in a different way’? KR: No. The past is the past. I have my staff and I discuss the car and the races with the engineers that belong to me. Schumacher talks more with Felipe than with me. But it ’s not a factor that has influence on my race results. From my part, I don’t even tell that I did ‘this and did that’ at McLaren. Q: Is it true that whenever friends come to visit you at your house in Switzerland, you can never resist to challenge them for whatever, be it swimming, karting, cycling ? KR: It’s true. The visit is a lot more fun this way. Q: Have you ever thought about having children ? KR: Certainly, even more than one. I love children. But it’s not the right moment for it. I want to be a serious father and as long as I fly from one capital of the world to another, that is not possible. Q: Will you learn Italian one day ? KR: I really hope so, but I am not rushing it. It’s a beautiful language but very difficult. I’ve always played hookey, you know. Being behind books for hours, it’s horrible. Q: What if you lose the championship? What about next year then? KR: Next year will be a completely different story. New rules, no traction control. A different story. Q: Better or worse ? KR: More fun I suppose. And perhaps better for the drivers as there is a greater chance to make the difference. In case you have a good car obviously. Q: Once you’ve taken part in a race and won on snowmobiles under the name of James Hunt. Why was that? KR: Maybe because I’m born in the wrong century. Had I been a driver many years ago, I wouldn’t be in the spotlights 24/7, my life would have been a lot easier. source: tuttosport.com (newspaper) |
