Raikkonen in Rally Finland 2009

[mx_tifoso]

I'm not that into rallying but Kimi Raikkonen made his debut in the WRC this weekend. And that's pretty cool, a multi faceted driver that could race in whatever you put him; snowmobiles, Formula One, rally, etc.

His ride continues to be an Abart Grande Punto S2000, and this weekend runs in the Group N class. And maybe worth mentioning, he's runing fourth in class at the end of the first day.

I obviously wish him the best .

[-KMR_NH-]

I'm really impressed. He's doing great so far is pretty fast. I didn't expected him but I like it.

[Saribro]

He made it to 15th overall and 3rd in class at the moment, but apparently the engine is dying, might not last past today, if it lasts today.

[StrFerrari4Ever]

Good on Kimi doing other categories of Motorsport nice livery on the car design from the top of his F1 helmet although I would've wanted to see him battling it out with the big guns in Citroen or A Ford only if Subaru , Mistubishi & Lancia were still in WRC.

[Giblet]

Like when he secretly registered in a snowmobile race as James Hunt, and won it, then flew to Australia, and won his first ever race for Ferrari?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsp ... 055633.stm

[modbaraban]

A couppalla videсlippala
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL5plLB-GiE[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLAmymiOVc4[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JzeUfIj830[/youtube]

[noname]

Back in the Service Park, Raikkonen's co-driver Kaj Lindstrom told wrc.com he was proud of what Kimi had achieved. "He proved he has the speed, which before the rally nobody knew for sure,"

Lindstrom (...) also said more rallies with Kimi were a possibility.

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=10 ... 20rallying

if only GB rally this year would be few weeks later I bet we could see Kimi again going trough stages of WRC.

respect !

[mx_tifoso]

Motorsport.com has updated the Finnish Rally event with more images, so check it out. But here are some more of Raikkonen...







I find it strange that he is so happy in that Rally video, but when he is interviewed for anyting related to Formula One he seems bored or something. Like he just wants to drive the car and thats it, but in rallying he's ok with the interviews.

[mep]

It's nice to see Kimi doing that well in Rally.
Kind of sad he had this accident now.
I have a lot of respect for these Rally drivers, the fast reactions and the car control you need there are really impressive
For me it needs much more courage to drive on a narrow path through a wood full of potentially deadly trees than around a wide race track surrounded with pillows.

Kimi is one of the F1 drivers who have the balls to drive Rally.
Nevertheless I prefer him to drive a Formula car because on the same time he is one of those good for a real fight on track man against man.
I can’t imagine he enjoys driving against the time so much.

[Kriss]

KImi rolling.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie0VlxQO32k[/youtube]

[noname]

Loeb, meanwhile, said he had been impressed by the performance of Ferrari F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen in Finland (...)

"I thought he was really good," said Loeb. "He was only one second per kilometre off the pace of Juho Hanninen, and the best drivers in his category, and to do that here in Finland, on his first time, that's not so much - so I'm sure he was confident.

"It's important if you want to do this kind of rally to have good notes, and he stayed on the road until yesterday when something happened, but it can happen to anybody. I was surprised - he was driving really fast," he added.

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=10 ... C%20drives

[modbaraban]

I've just noticed that his Punto not only has the helmet livery but also the shape

[Ray]

He looks like he's adopted a fashion style similar to people that hail from Southern California.

[mx_tifoso]

Yes Ray, that SoCal style is what the motorcross and posers swear their lives by.



Nicky Hayden (USA)

[Ray]

Nothing wrong with it, I lived there for about 4 years. I was just commenting he looked that way. I actually find it good in a way, he doesn't look so 'corporate' like he did at McLaren. Nice to see the driver have some style rather than be like robots to their sponsors. F1 seems to have drummed out any kind of personality to it's drivers and team members.