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Returning
to the pits with a problem on his Ferrari's KERS cooling system
probably wasn’t the perfect end to Kimi Raikkonen's winter
testing season, but after clocking Tuesday’s fastest time
Raikkonen wasn’t too disappointed.
Overall
the Finn seems satisfied with the F60's development curve. However,
as one of the grid’s most experienced runners, he knows better
than most that he’ll have to wait until Melbourne to discover
where he - and the rest of the field - truly stand…
Question:
Kimi, how are you feeling two weeks before the start of the season?
Kimi:
I feel okay and the car seems to be good. So let’s wait and see
how we are doing at the first race.
Question:
On your last day there was a problem with the car’s KERS…
Kimi:
I don’t know exactly what the problem was - the engineers are
checking it. I guess it was a small leakage in the cooling system,
and I am sure they will fix it. Apart from that everything worked
very well.
Question:
Will reliability be the biggest concern this year for everybody?
Kimi:
Well, the rules are new and with KERS there are always chances
that something could go wrong, as we haven’t had so much testing
with it. But I think we are on a pretty good level with it, so
hopefully everything goes well.
Question:
Last year you didn’t seem to have a car that you really enjoyed
driving. Do you feel more comfortable in the F60?
Kimi:
I am happy with how the car works now. But of course testing is
something very different to racing and we are going to many
different tracks, so we will have to wait and see. But as I said,
for now I am pretty happy and the rest we will see in a few weeks.
Question:
Are you happy with both the consistency over long runs and quick
single laps?
Kimi:
I mean it was okay as we haven’t really pushed for a special lap
time. The car is handling well and that is the main thing, and if
we don’t face anymore problems we should be okay. It is very
difficult to say what everybody is doing so we better wait until
the first race with any predictions.
Question:
You are heavier than Felipe Massa. How big is the weight penalty
for you when KERS is on board? Are you restricted in any way when
setting the car up?
Kimi:
That doesn’t seem to be a problem and we are more or less where
we need to be with the weight - so it should be okay.
Question:
So that won’t be a handicap for you for in Melbourne?
Kimi:
If the car works as well as here, because we cannot move the
weight distribution, there should be no issue.
Question:
But obviously you have lost quite some weight. How many kilos?
Kimi:
I don’t know. I haven’t got scales. I am happy as long as we
are okay with the overall weight, that’s all that matters.
Question:
Did you change your preparations over the winter?
Kimi:
Not really. We have done different things with the cars but apart
from that I have spent my winter just trying to get ready for the
season.
Question:
Does your driving style work well with the slick tyres?
Kimi:
I don’t know how well the others are doing, but so far I’ve
been pretty happy with how the car has been working. I am okay to
start the season!
Question:
The car is certainly different, but do you feel different to last
year?
Kimi:
I don’t know anything about a different feeling. It’s a new
season, so it’s hard to know what to expect. Of course with the
rule changes the handling changes a little bit and it can get
tricky if it’s bad weather, but then that goes for everybody. I
am ready to go racing, and then we will see how well we can do.
Question:
Last season you started as the reigning world champion, now you
are the hunter again. Which role do you like more?
Kimi:
I don’t mind. Everybody starts from the same level so hopefully
we can score good points in the first few races and go from there.
Question:
You drove for McLaren for many years. This winter seems to have
been a little troublesome for them. Does that mean hope for
everybody else, or do you think they can come back?
Kimi:
I don’t know if they have a problem or not, and what they are
doing. Let’s wait a few weeks and we will know where they are in
the first race. They haven’t probably been as quick as in the
past winter but that doesn’t mean that they won’t be fast in
the first race.
Question:
What about Felipe? Is he still the same guy he was last year or
has he changed a lot?
Kimi:
I don’t know. You should ask him. I don’t know what he’s
been doing, so if you want to know something about his life you
should speak to him.
Question:
Who do you see as your main competitors this year? The McLaren duo
or is there somebody else?
Kimi:
It could be all tight - but then again, it might not be. I don’t
know more than anybody else - I just see the times. That’s it.
Question:
Have you rediscovered the fun of Formula One racing?
Kimi:
It’s always been fun, but definitely if you’re doing well
it’s more fun. But we haven’t started the season yet!
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