Kimi Brasil

The return of the Iceman

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:15:04 PST

More motivated than ever

With the return of Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus found themselves in the limelight last week during the first pre-season testing days in Jerez, Spain. Not a surprise as the Iceman as his nickname is, is still hugely popular amongst Formula One fans, and one could perhaps say his somewhat lackluster past two seasons in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) has rekindled his interest in the FIA Formula One World Championship again. The fans and the media have welcomed the return of the Finn to the Lotus team - a team currently seeking to become one of the top teams in Formula One.

Lotus has big plans for 2012, and with star driver Raikkonen they might be able to make their dreams come true. Raikkonen himself remains as ever remarkably cool about his return to the sport, and mainly had to fend of his critics ever since Lotus announced he would be driving for the black and gold Genii owned Lotus team.

“I think he's more motivated than ever,” said Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez. "I can assure you that Kimi came back because he wanted to race and that money was a side issue. The more people that question it the better, because it's only going to motivate him further. It's a very important step in getting the team to where we want it to be, which is one of the top teams in Formula One.”

The 32-year old Raikkonen had to answer many questions about his motivation, and after the Lotus E20 unveil last week he said, “There's always talk about my motivation, written by people who don't know me and couldn't have an idea on how strong my motivation is. If I didn't feel I had the motivation, I would stop. I've never had any issues with motivation.”

About the 2012 season he stated, “I think people expect things from me, but as long as I know that I'm giving 100 per cent and I'm happy with my driving then I'm happy," he said. "If those aspects are true and it's not enough, then it's not enough.”

Also his outings in the WRC contributed to his Formula One return, as he still loves the on track wheel-to-wheel racing, “I realized how much I was missing it. That doesn't mean I am sick of rallying; actually I'd like to do both but that's not possible. But if you want to race and you have the choice, first you look at Formula One! The fact was that I missed racing. The longer I was away from Formula One, the more I wanted to go back there.”

Raikkonen’s arrival at the Enstone-based Lotus team is also a great boost for their morale, certainly after the disastrous 2011 campaign when Lotus lost their star driver Robert Kubica after the Pole had sustained serious injuries during a rally crash. German Nick Heidfeld took over his seat, but although he and Russian Vitaly Petrov both scored a third place during the first two Grands Prix, the Lotus team could not impress and were in fact struggling for the remainder of the season.

To make things worst, the revolutionary forwards pointing exhaust system the team had developed proved to be a debacle of epic proportions, on two occasions the Lotus caught fire and the team even had to write off one chassis after the car had caught fire for a second time during the Hungarian Grand Prix. Lotus had hoped Kubica would be fit to race again in 2012, but it wasn’t to be and the news Raikkonen would drive for Lotus in 2012 soon emerged.

Can Raikkonen fulfill Lotus’ ambition?

“Believe me, he is there,” said Lotus Team Principal Eric Boullier, addressing the issue whether Raikkonen would be quick again. Asked whether Raikkonen can fill the ‘void’ Kubica has left in 2011 Boullier had no doubts whatsoever, “Right away - yes!" And he explained, "Because, in terms of team morale and motivation - and even team guidance - he is there, because he is a guy that knows what he wants. I promise you he is committed and, as I just said, he knows what he wants.”

Asked whether Raikkonen can fulfill Lotus’ ambition to make it into the top four of the Constructors’ Championship Boullier answered, “He will be a potential race winner if we give him an adequate car. Obviously, this is the package that he needs to have. My guess is that at the beginning of the European 'season' he will be ready.”

Boullier was certainly impressed after two days of testing, “I know already that he is not struggling. I have seen how he has been driving,” said Boullier, adding, “Without even looking at the times, you can see from the line that he was cruising around the track on and how he uses the car. I am sure that he will need some time to find the last tweaks to be 100 per cent sure. Kimi is very confident and he is very happy with the car, its balance and handling.”

It is no secret Raikkonen doesn’t like the commercial aspects of the sport, like the mandatory FIA press conferences, the sponsor obligations and all the interviews with the media, he simply doesn’t like all the glitter and glamour. But now he is more than happy to talk to the press about his return to Formula One. “There has been quite a bit of noise in the press about my comeback and there have been a lot of rumors,” he explained.

“It has no effect on me - sometimes you hear some nonsense and sometimes you hear nice things. I have never really looked at what people say or think. I do my own thing and as long as I'm happy with it then that's the main thing for me.”

Romain Grosjean is happy to have Raikkonen as a team mate, and he remarked, “It took a little time and I did wonder what kind of relationship we would develop, but I think he is a really nice guy. Whatever I have asked, he has answered.”

DRS is just a button

It has been said many times that many things have changed during Raikkonen’s two-year absence, but is that really true? True, the cars have changed, but the latest gadgets like the blown floor and most notably the blown diffuser have been banned, the F-Duct and blown exhausts have been banned as well, so Raikkonen doesn’t have to worry about those novelties at all.

Refueling has been banned which means cars now start very heavy with topped up fuel tanks, as the race progresses the fuel is burned and the car gets lighter, and therefore the characteristics of the cars also change as the race progresses. Again nothing to worry about for Raikkonen, other drivers have quickly adapted to those new circumstances. Raikkonen therefore commented, “That’s no big deal - the pit stop is just a little shorter. Driving with the heavier car is not like day and night; it’s still the same sport.”

But as Raikkonen put it, “The biggest difference will be the tyres. It will take more time to learn how get them working properly. I hear that the tyres have a lot of grip right from the outset and from my point of view, it is important that the front end works.” But he is confident he will get used to the Pirellis, “For me it’s easier to get used to the tyres than it was for the others a year ago. For me it’s more like a new beginning.”

One thing that is completely new for Raikkonen is the Drag Reduction System (DRS), a system that makes overtaking easier, but Raikkonen wouldn’t be Raikkonen and thus slammed the DRS ‘push to pass’ button. “The way the DRS wings work is for me a little ridiculous,” he said to the German Auto, Motor und Sport magazine.

According to the 2007 World Champion overtaking is way too easy with DRS, “Overtaking is not really a great art anymore. You just put the wing down and go past easily.” And he added, ”The guy in front can't really do anything. But I agree that at least it makes the show better.”

Nevertheless he is confident he can handle Formula One’s overtaking aids, “I've driven with KERS before and DRS is just a button. Once you've done it a few times it will become automatic. There's just a few more buttons to push on the steering wheel.”

A new Ice Age?

Even more impressive was Raikkonen’s pace during the very first test day in Jerez de la Frontera in Spain last week, the Finn who had never driven the Lotus E20 and wasn’t familiar with the new Pirelli tyres either, made no bones about it and after 75 laps recorded the fasted lap time of 1m19.670s.

"I do have a good feeling, and that was not always the case in my career after the first day of testing, But I would rather be P1 at the end of the first race than at the end of the first test day," said Raikkonen with a smile.

Boullier was quite happy with the first test days, “For the first test it looks good, but still you can't really speculate on anything. Between here and Melbourne, all the cars will change a lot.”

Lotus Technical Director James Allison was impressed by Raikkonen’s feedback, “So far his feedback on the car has been good. Kimi has been complimentary about the balance of the car, the braking and other features. The steering is slightly heavy for his liking at the moment, but other than that he's been comfortable.”

And he added, “The best thing about the week was the drivers' feedback, we had not heard anything as positive in the last couple of seasons. The important thing is that we've completed the most number of laps so far; while there are obviously no prizes for that, it gives us a strong platform on which to base our development programme.”

About Raikkonen skills Allison said, “You can tell Kimi is a class act. He gets in the car and is on the pace straight away; there's no building up to it. His commitment is instant and the lap times show that. His fitness level is also good which has allowed him to be consistent, and he hasn't had any major 'moments' out on track; he seems to have everything very much under control.”

Raikkonen was not ‘showboating’ said McLaren’s Jenson Button in Jerez, the Finn’s pace was genuine according to the Briton. “We maybe haven't seen eye to eye a lot of the time when we've been racing, but he's a very quick driver, a World Champion. He's obviously in a very competitive car, and whatever they did today - low fuel or whatever - it was still quick,” the 2009 World Champion said after the first day of testing.

After the second day of testing, and another 117 laps behind his belt, Raikkonen was adamant the Lotus E20 could be a winning car. “We seem to have a good car and I have a positive feeling from this first test. There was a small issue with damage to the floor this morning when I went off and came back on to the circuit. An edge on a kerb caused the damage and we lost some time as it was repaired.”

After completing his 117 laps, almost the distance of two Grands Prix, Raikkonen had encountered no problems whatsoever, ”Physically, I felt fine after 117 laps. Conditions were quite windy on track but despite this I got a better feeling from the car so it’s positive progress.”

The Formula One fraternity can be sure about one thing, the Iceman is back and he is very determined to make a successful comeback, he seems to be more dedicated than ever, and the first pre-season test showed Lotus has given him a car worthy of a champion, and if there is one man on the 2012 grid who can do the impossible, it must be Raikkonen.

And with the return of the Iceman the 2012 season will have no less than six World Champions on the start grid. Seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher admitted he was happy to see the ex-Ferrari driver return to the paddock, “I'm happy for him, very happy for him.” About Raikkonen’s lap times on Monday Schumacher commented, “It is the first day and at the end of the test and then we can make a proper judgment of what those times were worth. But I am really happy for the team and for him.”

2005 and 2006 World Champion Fernando Alonso, who in fact replaced Raikkonen at Ferrari at the end of 2009, also welcomed his return, “I welcome him back. He's a great driver. He's one of the drivers with the biggest talent on the grid, a World Champion, a wonderful person - it's going to be a pleasure to race alongside him.”

Alonso is already looking forward to battling with Raikkonen, “I'm not comparing him with anyone, but it's not the same to start a race and get to the first corner and have Kimi Raikkonen alongside you than having a young driver or a rookie. Fighting with Champions like this gives you a different feeling and more security.”

Next World Champion on the list is Lewis Hamilton who won the title in 2008, but lost the 2007 title to the Finn during the very last race of the season with only one point difference. Perhaps Hamilton still hasn’t forgotten about that battle, as we were unable to find any comments from Hamilton referring to Raikkonen’s return.

Button, the 2009 World Champion, was initially surprised about his return, but later welcomed him and he now believes he will be on the pace immediately. “I think it's really good for the sport. As a driver, he's very, very competitive. If he really wants to race, he's going to be quick. It's good to have him back and the races will be more fun and obviously the evenings after the races will be more fun,” he said with a smile, referring to Raikkonen’s reputation as a party animal.

And the last and current World Champion is of course Sebastian Vettel, who won the title in 2010 and 2011. Vettel initially also predicted a difficult comeback. “A driver like him has the potential and the talent to get used to things again. But even myself if I look back two years and the car that I raced two years ago, how many things changed is unbelievable,” said Vettel. “The important thing is your happy with yourself and what you do. If a return to Formula One to make him happy again, I hope he got it.”

And McLaren Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh has the last word in this story about the return of the Iceman, “No fewer than six World Champions will be competing in Formula One this season - more than ever before - and each of them, including Kimi, is not only a fantastic racing driver but also a colorful character with a robust fans' following and a unique global allure,” he said. “If the Lotus car is quick, Kimi will be quick in it; it's as simple as that in my view.”

A imagem pública de Kimi Raikkonen não condiz com a realidade

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:24:59 PST

Fonte: Grande Prêmio

Após os primeiros dois meses de trabalho, a Lotus se rendeu a Kimi Raikkonen. Desde a chegada do finlandês, no fim do ano passado, a cúpula do time de Enstone é só elogios ao campeão mundial de F1 em 2007, destacando suas qualidades como pessoa e como piloto.

Desta vez, quem rendeu palavras de reverência ao ex-piloto de Sauber, McLaren e Ferrari foi Gerard López, dono da Lotus. Em entrevista ao jornal britânico ‘The Sun’, o executivo espanhol afirmou que o time se sente bem com Raikkonen e contou que o piloto está bastante sorridente, diferente da imagem pública que o nórdico carrega, uma vez que Kimi é conhecido por ser uma pessoa fechada.

“Nos sentimos muito bem com ele, e ele, claramente, se sente em casa”, disse. “Ele sorri bastante quando está conosco. Mas, mais importante, ele diz que se sente parte da família”, contou López.

Campeão pela Ferrari, Kimi é reconhecido por suas qualidades como piloto. No entanto, o nórdico deixou a categoria, no fim de 2009, com fama de preguiçoso, desmotivado e de não cooperar com a mídia e patrocinadores, sobretudo depois de um ano bastante difícil na Ferrari, que culminou em sua saída de Maranello e iniciar uma carreira de dois anos no WRC.

O dono da Lotus, por outro lado, acredita que essa imagem não reflete a realidade e não traduz a personalidade de Raikkonen. “Eu acho que Kimi tem uma imagem publica que, honestamente, pelo que eu vi, não traduz o que ele realmente é”, defendeu. “Ele é muito trabalhador, muito bom fornecendo feedback e tem um bom espírito de time”, avaliou.

Mas não foi sempre assim. Gerard admitiu que ele e Eric Boullier, o chefe da equipe, tiveram dúvidas quando consideraram a possibilidade de contratar o finlandês. No fim do ano passado, a contratação de Kimi passou a ser prioridade para Lotus e Williams, mas o piloto de 32 anos acabou assinando com o time de Enstone para liderar a Lotus no lugar de Robert Kubica.

“Uma vez que falamos com ele, e, uma vez que entendemos o porquê ele estava voltando para a F1, nós nos sentimos realmente confortáveis”, revelou. “Se você olhar para o que aconteceu no teste, ninguém pode dizer que ele não está no ritmo”, concluiu Lopez, deixando claro que vê seu primeiro piloto bastante motivado e pronto para um novo desafio na carreira.

Rápida readaptação, todos contentes

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:20:56 PST

Fonte: Ig Esportes

A Lotus está impressionada com a velocidade com que Kimi Raikkonen tem se readaptado à Fórmula 1. Após dois anos longe da categoria, disputando provas de rali, o finlandês liderou o primeiro dia de testes de pré-temporada em Jerez de la Frontera, na semana passada.

Os chefes Eric Boullier e Gerard Lopez acreditam que a atmosfera da equipe extrairá o melhor do campeão de 2007, que está se mostrando muito mais dedicado do que sugeria a sua reputação.

"Estamos muito bem com ele e claramente ele se sente em casa. Ele sorri muito quando está conosco! O mais importante é que isso mostra o quanto ele se sente parte da família”, disse Lopez ao site da revista britânica Autosport.

"Acredito que Kimi tem uma imagem publica que, pelo que temos visto, não traduz o que ele é de verdade. Ele é muito trabalhador e tem um ótimo espírito de equipe”, explicou o dono da Lotus. “Se você olha o que aconteceu nos testes, ninguém pode falar que ele não está no ritmo”, acrescentou.
Boullier, chefe da equipe, afirmou que a maneira com que a Lotus trabalha está provando ser ideal para Raikkonen.

"Tentamos lidar com sua personalidade e nos certificar de que não o incomodaríamos com intrusões demais”, disse o dirigente. “Ele é um piloto de verdade e se encaixou muito bem na equipe porque falamos a mesma língua. Somos flexíveis, mas nosso sistema é muito orientado para as corridas, e isso se ajusta muito bem a ele”, concluiu.

O finlandês também foi elogiado pelo diretor de operações da Lotus, Alan Permane. “Há muito mais na Fórmula 1 do que apenas completar uma boa volta e isso é o que define um campeão. Esse é o tipo de coisa que você pode perceber em Kimi e ver quão bom ele é, como ele usa o carro em voltas longas e como ele cuida dos pneus”, afirmou Permane.
“Ele é muito fácil de trabalhar junto. Sua resposta técnica é excelente. Ele gasta muito tempo com seus engenheiros olhando coisas, analisando dados e nos dizendo o que quer”, acrescentou.

Ele é um cara legal

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:17:29 PST

Fonte: Grande Prêmio

Se a primeira impressão é a que fica, Romain Grosjean tem tudo para ter em 2012 uma temporada bem diferente de seu debute na F1, três anos atrás. O piloto da Lotus registrou o segundo melhor tempo da bateria de testes da primeira semana da pré-temporada, em Jerez, e foi o mais rápido usando o carro novo.

O campeão da GP2 não se mostrou contente apenas com o bom desempenho do E20 no circuito andaluz, mas também pela harmonia com o novo companheiro de equipe, Kimi Raikkonen. De personalidade mais fechada, o finlandês de 32 anos, que volta à F1 em 2012 após dois anos fora da categoria, surpreendeu Grosjean com sua receptividade.

“Surpresa muito agradável foi Kimi”, disse o franco-suíço. “Levou pouco tempo para que eu pudesse saber que tipo de relação nós iremos desenvolver, mas acho que ele é um cara muito legal. Tudo que eu perguntei, ele respondeu”, revelou Romain.

Quanto ao novo Lotus E20, Grosjean foi só elogios. “Ele é definitivamente melhor que o do ano passado”, comentou o piloto em entrevista à emissora finlandesa MTV3.

Ao comparar os dados obtidos por Raikkonen, campeão mundial em 2007, Romain disse que praticamente não houve diferença. “Não vi nada de estranho, a telemetria foi praticamente idêntica”, acrescentou.

James Allison, diretor-técnico da Renault, também compartilha do otimismo de Grosjean após os treinos em Jerez. “A melhor coisa da semana foi o feedback dos pilotos. Nós não ouvimos nada tão positivo nas últimas duas temporadas”, afirmou o britânico.

Exclusive Q&A with Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:52:03 PST

Fonte: Site Oficial da F1

Entrevista encontrada no site: Kimi Räikkönen Space

After two days back in the cockpit, two things are clear - Formula One has missed Kimi Raikkonen and Kimi Raikkonen has missed Formula One. Yes, the niggles which drove him to rallying two years ago are still there, but - for now - the 2012-spec ‘Iceman’ seems suitably chilled. Another thing that hasn’t changed is his pace, which he proved in style on the opening day of this week’s Jerez test by setting the fastest time for Lotus. Raikkonen discusses progress…

Q: You clocked the best time on day one at Jerez. Was it because of a magic car or a magic Kimi?
Kimi Raikkonen: Ha, I don’t really know. On the first day the car was good, but I have to say that on the second day it was even better. If it only set the fifth-best time then it was down to the fact that we tried different things. But, for sure, coming back to the real Formula One world and immediately doing the best time on the first day of testing was not bad. It was a nice warm feeling for the ego. But, of course, to really classify what the time was worth you would need to know what programme everybody else was running on. And don’t we all know that the times only really matter when we are in a real race? So, yes, it was nice, but don’t overestimate things! (laughs)

Q: So you feel comfortable in the car…
KR: Well, there are moments when the handling is easier than at other moments, but overall I am pretty happy with the car. Sure, there is always room for improvement, but I would say that it was not a bad start for Lotus and myself. At the moment the magic word is mileage - for all three of us: the team, the tyres and me.

Q: You did 117 laps on the second day. Did you start to feel it? Nothing compares to the G-forces when you drive a Formula One car…
KR: No, there were no problems whatsoever. That is why you exercise before.

Q: Topping the timesheets must have reassured you that after two years away you hadn’t lost it?
KR: To be honest it never entered my mind that I could have lost it. I knew when I drove the old car in Valencia that I would be okay. I could feel it immediately. Of course there isn’t 100 percent certainty, but it is coming close to that.

Q: When you left F1 for rallying you spoke about the monotony - the same tracks, the same hotels, the same people, and the same questions…
KR: …and nothing has changed. And believe me, I didn’t expect any change! (laughs) Sure, from that aspect rallying is much nicer, but that is a part of Formula One and if you want to race in this category you have to accept all aspects of it.

Q: So despite all these downsides you found Formula One so exciting that you came back?
KR: I found the racing so exciting. I missed the racing. And it is a fact that Formula One is the highest form of racing. So you would rather take it than leave it.

Q: Is it fair to say that driving a Formula One car is the best thing you can do with your life?
KR: Oh, I am sure there are more things that you can do in your life.

Q: But on a professional level…
KR: As I just said, if you want to compete at the highest level of racing you have to race in F1. That is what I enjoy. All the side affects you have to accept for the benefit of racing at the top level.

Q: You probably also missed winning…
KR: I don’t know if you miss winning, but of course every sound person would rather win than lose! (laughs) But it is not often that you can win all the time. It’s not that I’ve got used to winning.

Q: The team had a tough time last year but for you - in F1 - it’s been some time since you’ve raced a car not capable of winning a Grand Prix. Is that a worry?
KR: Ah, I didn’t have an outright winner of a car for many years. I would say that in 2009 I didn’t exactly have a winning car and people seem to forget that so easily. And how often do you win? Okay, I had some good wins in Formula One, but if you compare that with how long I have been in Formula One, then I haven’t won so often. But that is obviously part of a career.

Q: When did the idea of returning really take shape?
KR: That was during the summer when I was doing some NASCAR races. I enjoyed that direct fight with competitors again, the wheel-to-wheel fight. I realised that I was missing it. In rallying you also race against people, but not physically, and it was that physical aspect that I really missed. After that realisation, I spoke to my managers and they started to sort things out for me.

Q: Why didn’t the negotiations with Williams work out?
KR: We simply didn’t find a solution that would satisfy both sides. You know how it is - one side wants something and the other something else, so you drift apart. That’s how it goes sometimes in life. And sometimes the bad comes good. I am very happy where I am now.

Q: Lotus team principal Eric Boullier said that when he told the team that you were joining it immediately boosted morale. Did you expect you would ever be a morale booster?
KR: I know that the team had a tough year last season, but they have great people and so far it has been a good experience joining them. I hope we can have a good experience together in the months to come - and that will be an even bigger morale boost! If you ask me what my goal is for this season then the answer is that I don’t know. You must wait until the first couple of races and then I will probably be able to give a hint.

Q: During your two-year sabbatical you didn’t once attend a Grand Prix. Why?
KR: Well, I went to Monaco twice, but not to see the cars, only for business. And if you want to see cars properly - as someone like me, who is really interested in how the cars change, does - then you come to a test. And if you want to see the race then you see it on TV.

Q: Do you think anything significant has changed over the last two years?
KR: Not really, except for the tyres and having a different manufacturer for the tyres. The cars haven’t changed too much and everything else is business as usual.

I 'm happy with what we did over the two days.

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:32:02 PST

Fonte: Autosport

Kimi Raikkonen says he has the answers he was looking for from his first experience of the new Lotus E20 after completing 180 laps during two days' testing at Jerez.
The Finn did not match his pace from the opening day of the test, where he hit the headlines by going quickest of all. But Raikkonen declared himself satisfied by what he learned from the car and Pirelli's tyres.
He now hands over to team-mate Romain Grosjean for the final two days of the test.
"I think the main thing was to get a lot of mileage right now," said the 2007 world champion when asked by AUTOSPORT for his summary of the test. "The car feels pretty OK straightaway, and I think we improved it today, but today the conditions were a bit more tricky than yesterday.
"I'm happy with what we did over the two days."
Raikkonen added that the starting point for the E20 appeared to be positive when he could get the Pirelli tyres in a good operating window, as he continued his education process with the Italian rubber.
"Some compounds worked better than others," he said. "When they are new they are always good but once they get used... and it was quite cold so some of them were slightly better than others.
"But when they worked the car feels quite good so... I have no idea what the others are doing but I was quite happy about how things went."
"If the conditions are good for that compound and they get heat in them it seems to be fine but then some of them don't like it when it's cold and the tyre just doesn't work," he continued. "But when they work normally it's not too bad, at least here, but it can be a really different story in Barcelona."
Raikkonen had a couple of off-track moments during his second day in the car and was delayed in the morning when he ran over a kerb and damaged the plank under the chassis - which then needed to be replaced.
"I ran wide under braking for Turn 6, and just driving back in the gravel the edge of the kerb on the circuit was very high and it hit the front of the floor and we damaged that," he explained. "So it took a while to fix it. Unfortunate."

Resultados do 2º dia de testes em Jerez

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:38:03 PST

Pos.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1.	Michael Schumacher	Mercedes Grand Prix	01:18.561	132
2.	Mark Webber	Red Bull	01:19.184	97
3.	Daniel Ricciardo	Scuderia Toro Rosso	01:19.587	100
4.	Jules Bianchi	Force India F1	01:20.221	46
5.	Kimi Räikkönen	Lotus Renault	01:20.239	117
6.	Paul di Resta	Force India F1	01:20.272	69
7.	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	01:20.454	95
8.	Jenson Button	McLaren	01:20.688	85
9.	Sergio Perez	Sauber	01:20.711	68
10.	Pastor Maldonado	Williams	01:21.197	97
11.	Heikki Kovalainen	Caterham	01:21.518	139
12.	Pedro de la Rosa	HRT F1 Team	01:22.128	64

Fotos de Hoje by GPUpdate

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:34:48 PST

Foi tudo Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:15:10 PST

Fonte: Grande Prêmio

Romain Grosjean assumiu o posto de titular da Lotus nesta temporada tendo como companheiro Kimi Raikkonen, que volta à F1 após dois anos. No primeiro dia de testes coletivos em Jerez de la Frontera, o finlandês foi o escolhido para conduzir as atividades com o E20 e liderou a sessão da última terça-feira (7) ao estabelecer a marca de 1min19s670.

Em entrevista ao jornal francês ‘Le Martin’, Grosjean afirmou que tem ótima relação com o novo companheiro de equipe, campeão mundial de F1 em 2007, e que entende o motivo de Raikkonen ter sido o escolhido para estrear o E20 no circuito andaluz.

“Está tudo correndo bem entre nós”, disse Grosjean. “Não me surpreende que ele teve de começar os testes por razões de marketing. Ele foi um campeão mundial e também vai precisar de um tempo para voltar à forma”, opinou.

Além de iniciar os trabalhos em Jerez na terça, Raikkonen também contou com um teste privado no circuito de Valência nos dias 23 e 24 de janeiro usando um Renault R30, modelo da temporada de 2010, para se readaptar à condução de um F1 depois de dois anos correndo no WRC e com passagens pela Nascar.

“Junto com Kimi, queremos fazer tudo para que a Lotus esteja na melhor posição possível do grid e eu não pretendo mexer com assuntos que não posso controlar”, encerrou Romain, que volta à categoria depois de conquistar os títulos da AutoGP, em 2010, e da GP2, na temporada passada.

Jenson Button destaca que o carro da Lotus é competitivo

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:12:04 PST

Fonte:Grande Premio

Kimi Raikkonen ficou fora da F1 por dois anos, mas seu retorno à categoria tem sido a principal notícia dos últimos dias. Na última terça-feira (7), no primeiro dia de testes coletivos em Jerez de la Frontera, o finlandês foi o mais rápido ao cravar 1min19s670.

A performance do campeão de 2007 no circuito andaluz causou boa impressão. Os dirigentes da Lotus comemoraram o resultado e se mostraram animados com a velocidade de Kimi. Além da cúpula da escuderia britânica, Jenson Button destacou a performance do piloto nórdico.

O piloto da McLaren, por sua vez, não deve um tempo tão bom. O britânico foi o oitavo colocado na sessão, com a marca de 1min21s530, 1s860 mais lento que Raikkonen. Após o teste, o vice-campeão mundial em 2011 reconheceu o bom trabalho de Kimi e disse que o novo carro da Lotus, o E20, aparenta ser bastante competitivo.

“Nós talvez não tenhamos nos visto muito frente a frente enquanto estivemos correndo, mas ele é um piloto muito rápido, um campeão mundial”, lembrou o campeão de 2009. “Ele, obviamente, está em um carro competitivo e seja lá o que tenha feito hoje — pouco combustível ou qualquer outra coisa — ainda assim foi rápido”, encerrou.

Ultrapassar não é mais uma arte

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:08:41 PST

Fonte: Grande Prêmio

Kimi Raikkonen está de volta à F1 após dois anos correndo no WRC, pela Citroën. Esse tempo foi suficiente para que diversas mudanças fossem feitas na categoria, entre elas a adoção da asa móvel, dispositivo que, quando acionado, diminui o arrasto aerodinâmico, proporcionando maior velocidade.

Mas o ex-piloto da Ferrari e da McLaren e atual líder da Lotus não se mostrou um grande fã desse novo dispositivo. “A forma como a asa móvel funciona é um pouco ridícula para mim”, disse Raikkonen à publicação germânica ‘Auto Motor und Sport’. “Ultrapassar não é mais uma grande arte”, lamentou.

“Você apenas abre a asa e passa facilmente”, disse o piloto de 32 anos. “O cara da frente realmente não pode fazer nada”, continuou.

Ainda assim, Raikkonen entende que a asa móvel serviu ao propósito de ampliar o número de ultrapassagens na principal categoria do esporte a motor. “Mas eu concordo que, pelo menos, faz o show melhor.”

No período em que esteve fora da F1, Kimi disputou provas da Nascar e do Mundial de Rali, mas não resistiu ao convite da Lotus e decidiu voltar para a categoria onde se sagrou campeão mundial em 2007.

“Percebi o quanto estava sentindo falta”, afirmou. “Isso não significa que cansei do rali, na verdade, eu adoraria fazer os dois, mas isso não é possível”, continuou. “Mas se você quer correr e tem opção, primeiro você olha para a F1”, disse Kimi.

Raikkonen afirmou também que não terá problemas para se acostumar com os novos compostos Pirelli, uma vez que seu retorno representa um novo começo de sua carreira. “Para mim é mais fácil me acostumar com os pneus, do que foi para os outros um ano atrás. Para mim é mais como um novo começo”, garantiu.

O fim do reabastecimento foi outra mudança que ocorreu na categoria no ano passado. Kimi, no entanto, não vê a modificação como um problema. “Não é grande coisa - o pit-stop é apenas um pouco mais curto”, afirmou. “Pilotar com o carro pesado não é como dia e noite. Ainda é o mesmo esporte. Apenas tem mais alguns botões para apertar no volante”, concluiu.

Continuação das fotos de ontem

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:58:48 PST

Jerez Test Day 1 - Fotos de Ontem

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:16:11 PST

Shummy feliz com o retorno do Kimi!

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:15:01 PST

Fonte:Terra

O finlandês Kimi Raikkonen encerrou o primeiro dia de testes da pré-temporada da Fórmula 1 na liderança e já arrancou elogios de seus rivais. O heptacampeão mundial Michael Schumacher comemorou que o piloto finlandês, que passou dois anos fora da categoria, tenha retornado para pilotar pela Lotus.
Raikkonen foi o mais rápido da terça-feira nos treinos de Jerez de la Frontera, com o tempo de 1min19s670. O alemão andou com o carro de 2011 da Mercedes, para conhecer os novos pneus da Pirelli, e ficou com a sexta colocação geral, com o tempo de 1min20s974.
"Estou muito feliz por ele. É só o primeiro dia, vamos ver no fim de todos para fazer um julgamento correto. Mas estou muito feliz pela equipe e por ele", afirmou Schumacher. "É muito bom ter tantos campeões mundiais no grid. Vai ser um grande show para todos nós", completou.
Schumacher foi à pista em Jerez apenas pela tarde e deixou seu companheiro de equipe, Nico Rosberg, pilotar durante a manhã. Mesmo sem o carro que utilizará durante o Mundial de 2012, o alemão aprovou a experiência e ressaltou a importância de conhecer o máximo possível dos pneus.
"Foi para pegar o básico direito. Claro, o ideal seria ter o novo carro, mas o ideal também é fazer o carro passar o máximo de tempo possível no túnel de vento. Essa foi a estratégia que usamos para ter a melhor performance, foi diferente do que os outros. Vamos ver como nos saímos", avaliou.

Kimi Raikkonen says Jerez laptimes are less important than his initial feelings in the Lotus

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:04:26 PST

Fonte: Autosport

Kimi Raikkonen says that topping the first day of pre-season testing means less to him than the 'positive' first sensations he received from the new Lotus E20 and Pirelli's soft and medium tyre compounds that he tried for the first time at Jerez.
The 2007 world champion played down his headline-grabbing fastest time at the Spanish circuit after ending up 0.1s faster than Paul di Resta's Force India, having completed 73 laps on a relatively trouble-free day.
"It makes no difference," he said when asked how it felt to be quickest on his return to contemporary F1 action. "I mean it's the first day, and it would make a difference if it were a race weekend, but here it means nothing."
But the Finn said that the information he gained using 2012-spec equipment and proper race tyres - as opposed to the demo rubber he had used prior to Tuesday's official running - was hugely valuable as he continued to reacclimatise to the sport.
"The feeling is pretty OK with the car and for sure I've had much worse first days and worse feelings with new cars," he added. "I was quite happy with it."
"The feeling was pretty good with the car. The first feeling is handling quite nicely so... just going with that feeling I'm quite happy, but there are areas that we can improve and that we have to improve. I'm positive about it."
Raikkonen completed 60 laps before the team broke for lunch, and during that morning he completed four stints culminating in a 1m19.670s lap – faster than Rubens Barrichello's best overall time of 2011.
And while Lotus's afternoon was interrupted by the need to change a KERS battery, Raikkonen said he was pleased with the ground he had covered on the first day.
"I did exactly what the team were planning, or not exactly because we missed a few laps when we had a small issue," he said. "We tried different things, we did a few checks.
"But we did also quite a lot of the normal things you have to do on a first day yesterday, so that was a help to get rid of those. But it was a pretty normal first day."
Raikkonen added that he had been pleased with how the tyres had felt: "They are what they are and you try to get the best out of them.
"When they are new they seem to be pretty nice tyres. Of course they probably go away more than in the past, but it's the same for everybody and in a long run you try to save them as much as you can and get the best out of it."

Engenheiro "velho" na Equipe "Nova"

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:54:33 PST

Fonte:F1zone

Kimi Raikkonen will have a familiar race engineer for his return to Formula 1 this year. Finnish reports in Turun Sanomat and the television broadcaster MTV3 claim that the 2007 world champion will work with Mark Slade.
Slade, recently at Mercedes GP working alongside Michael Schumacher, was Raikkonen’s race engineer at McLaren years ago. Slade also previously worked as a race engineer to Mika Hakkinen and Heikki Kovalainen.
Raikkonen will start working together with his engineer at Barcelona at the last test before Melbourne. “I wanted him and I am pleased that it worked out,” Raikkonen confirmed.
In other news, Eric Boullier has denied rumours Raikkonen is a shareholder in the Lotus team. It was reported that the 2007 world champion’s retainer this year was subsidised by owner Genii granting the returning F1 driver a small slice of the Enstone based team.
“He has no shareholding. It is complete nonsense,” Boullier is quoted by MTV3.
“Raikkonen has a two-year contract as driver,” he added. “Genii Capital holds 100 per cent of the team.”
Boullier also dismissed suggestions Raikkonen, whose teammate is the reigning GP2 champion Romain Grosjean, is Lotus’ obvious number one driver.
“There is no such thing in the contract,” he said.

Kimi Raikkonen goes quickest for Lotus in first F1 test of 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:56:45 PST

Kimi Raikkonen goes quickest for Lotus in first F1 test of 2012Fonte: Autosport

Kimi Raikkonen got his 2012 Formula 1 comeback off to the perfect start by topping the opening day of pre-season testing at Jerez.
The 2007 world champion went fastest straight out the blocks and was never displaced, as four fast stints in the morning allowed him to get down to a 1m19.670s - faster than any testing laps at the Spanish track throughout 2011.
It was also faster than anyone else would manage all day, particularly with the afternoon session proving slower than the morning.
Force India's Paul di Resta came closest to displacing Raikkonen at the top of the timesheets, missing out by just over one tenth of a second. A successful day was boosted by the fact the Scot was able to complete over 100 laps.
Nico Rosberg, in charge of Mercedes's 2011 W02 in the morning, finished third fastest, narrowly ahead of Mark Webber in the new Red Bull RB8.
After a delayed start - the result of fog preventing parts from arriving on time - the Australian was able to get within a second of Raikkonen in the afternoon.
Immediately after setting his best time Webber also blitzed the sector one speed trap, topping 300km/h for the first time – suggesting both he and the car have time in hand.
Daniel Ricciardo ended the day in fifth for Toro Rosso, although his session was cut short by an oil pressure issue which brought about the first of the day's two red flags.
The second came with less than an hour of the session to run when Kamui Kobayashi pulled over on the back straight, having run out of fuel.
Unlike Ricciardo, the Japanese driver was able to rejoin shortly after, but could not improve his time and ended the day in seventh, behind Michael Schumacher – who replaced Rosberg at Mercedes for the afternoon.
Jenson Button and Felipe Massa ended the day eighth and ninth respectively for McLaren and Ferrari – Button 1.8s down on Raikkonen and Massa more than three seconds off, having run with a telescope gauge attached to his roll bar for the entire day.
After a promising start, Heikki Kovalainen's day was cut short when Caterham's starter shaft broke, and he finished the day in 10th. Only Pastor Maldonado and Williams were able to complete fewer laps – 25 to Kovalainen's 28 – but the Venezuelan was nevertheless able to secure 11th ahead of Pedro de la Rosa in the HRT.
Today's times:

Pos  Driver               Team                   Time                Laps
 1.  Kimi Raikkonen       Lotus-Renault          1m19.670s            73
 2.  Paul di Resta        Force India-Mercedes   1m19.772s  + 0.102  101
 3.  Nico Rosberg         Mercedes               1m20.219s  + 0.549   56
 4.  Mark Webber          Red Bull-Renault       1m20.496s  + 0.826   53
 5.  Daniel Ricciardo     Toro Rosso-Ferrari     1m20.694s  + 1.024   57
 6.  Michael Schumacher   Mercedes               1m20.794s  + 1.124   41
 7.  Kamui Kobayashi      Sauber-Ferrari         1m21.353s  + 1.683  106
 8.  Jenson Button        McLaren-Mercedes       1m21.530s  + 1.860   60
 9.  Felipe Massa         Ferrari                1m22.815s  + 3.145   69
10.  Heikki Kovalainen    Caterham-Renault       1m23.178s  + 3.508   28
11.  Pastor Maldonado     Williams-Renault       1m23.371s  + 3.701   25
11.  Pedro de la Rosa     HRT-Cosworth           1m23.676s  + 4.006   44

All Timing Unofficial

O Mais Rápido desde o primeiro minuto que saiu da garagem

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:19:00 PST

Kimi Raikkonen posted the quickest time in the first morning of testing in 2012 as the returning 2007 world champion set the pace in the new Lotus E20.
The Finn responded to the hype surrounding his return with four fast stints, and occupied the top spot on the timesheets from the minute he first left the garage.
His fastest time so far, a 1m19.670s, set on his third run using medium Pirelli tyres, was faster than any testing laps at the Spanish track throughout 2011.
Lotus confirmed that the team's programme was simply to put miles on the new car and to give Raikkonen as much time as was possible to get used to this year's Pirelli compounds. By 13:00 local time, the Finn had completed 50 laps.
Paul di Resta was second fastest in the new Force India, having spent much of the morning doing intensive evaluation of the VJM05 which sported a large pylon mounted on the roll-bar.
Nico Rosberg was third fastest, driving a 2011 Mercedes W02 with some modifications. Having initially worked on calibration and installation, the German quickly upped the ante and by lunchtime had worked down to a 1m20.219s lap on Pirelli's soft rubber.
Daniel Ricciardo was fourth fastest in the Scuderia Toro Rosso having completed a trouble-free 40 laps so far in the STR7, which was revealed to the world at Jerez on Monday evening.
Mark Webber completed just eight laps in the new Red Bull RB8 but finished as fifth quickest.
Kamui Kobayashi was sixth fastest in the Sauber C31. The Japanese driver's only problem was the loss of a small piece of the rear brake duct on his initial run, but the team quickly resolved the issue.
Jenson Button was seventh for McLaren, which took its time working through systems checks and installation runs. Meanwhile, Felipe Massa was eighth quickest for Ferrari. The Brazilian focussed on data gathering in the F2012 - which was also carrying a tall pillar on its roll-hoop.
Heikki Kovalainen completed 18 laps by lunchtime for Caterham - the Finn having achieved a best of 1m23.1748, ahead of Pastor Maldonado in the new Williams-Renault. The FW34 was also revealed to the world in a roll-out just before the start of the test this morning.
Pedro de la Rosa completed the order in last year's HRT.
Morning times:

Pos  Driver               Team                  Time        Laps
 1.  Kimi Raikkonen       Lotus-Renault         1m19.670s    50
 2.  Paul di Resta        Force India-Mercedes  1m19.772s    52
 3.  Nico Rosberg         Mercedes              1m20.219s    56
 4.  Daniel Ricciardo     Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m20.694s    40
 5.  Mark Webber          Red Bull-Renault      1m21.474s     8
 6.  Kamui Kobayashi      Sauber-Ferrari        1m21.534s    29
 7.  Jenson Button        McLaren-Mercedes      1m22.402s    22
 8.  Felipe Massa         Ferrari               1m23.056s    51
 9.  Heikki Kovalainen    Caterham-Renault      1m23.178s    32
10.  Pastor Maldonado     Williams-Renault      1m23.371s    23
11.  Pedro de la Rosa     HRT-Cosworth          1m24.322s    16

All Timing Unofficial

MInhas primeiras impressões são boas!

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:50:05 PST

Fonte:Autosport

A reportagem é de ontem

Kimi Raikkonen said his initial impressions of the new Lotus E20 are good following a rollout with the car at Jerez.

The Finn, whose team unveiled the Renault-powered car yesterday, completed 22 laps of the Spanish circuit, performing system checks at low speed.

Raikkonen will begin testing properly tomorrow, when most F1 teams will begin the preparations for the 2012 season.

Although the former world champion used just first and second gears during the run today, he was pleased with how the car felt.

"It's great to see the E20 at a race circuit and even better to get behind the wheel," said Raikkonen at the end of the day.

"It's always frustrating to be in a new car and not be able to drive it at maximum attack, but thankfully I will have that opportunity for the next two days.

"My initial impressions are good, I fit comfortably in the car and it feels great in first and second gear; now let's see what it can do tomorrow."

Kimi Räikkönen in track at Jerez with E20 Lotus F1 Team

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:56:32 PST

Kimi Raikkonen First Test With Lotus E20 at Jerez

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:25:47 PST

Fonte : Cécile Cécé

Lotus E20 first run by Gp Update

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:00:01 PST

Kimi Raikkonen has fewer worries after comeback test at Valencia last month

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:34:10 PST

Fonte: Autosport

Kimi Raikkonen says he has fewer concerns about adapting to 2012-spec Formula 1 after two years away from the sport following his two-day test at Valencia a couple of weeks ago. The 2007 world champion, speaking at the launch of the new Lotus E20 at Jerez, said that while Pirelli's tyres were always going to provide his steepest learning curve, he felt that his run on the demo rubber in a two-year-old Renault had displaced any worries about getting up to speed quickly.
"The tyres are probably the biggest difference since I left, and that's what people were saying," said Raikkonen. "But since the test two weeks ago I have less worries about the whole thing than I had before.
"So we will see where we are when the first race comes.
"For me it was nice to get back in the car again. It is very difficult to say how well we went, but I got back all the feeling about driving the car and got used to working with the team. That was really the main goal, to learn.
"It was interesting to drive and get a little bit back that feeling."
Raikkonen, who shook the Renault-powered E20 down during a team filming day at Jerez on Monday, said that in the short period of time that he had been working with Lotus he had been convinced that all the ingredients were in place for the squad to return to a championship-winning level.
"Nobody knows exactly [how long it will take]," he said. "The team has a lot of hunger to do well and to get back their winning ways but it's not easy. If it was, everybody would do it. But definitely there are people who want to get back there and put in the effort for it.
"They have won it before so they have all the tools to do it. It's just about getting everything right and being up there all the time so hopefully it can happen soon, but everybody seems hungry to do it."
Raikkonen said that he was not expecting many changes on his return and that many of the faces in the paddock were similar to those he had left behind when he walked away from the sport at the end of 2009.
Responding to a question that suggested he was no longer enjoying the sport when he left, Raikkonen replied: "That was only your opinion, I would have left earlier if I wasn't having fun.
"I always said that I loved the racing and I have always been very happy to race. There were a lot of stories from all of your [the press] side about my motivation, but I never had any issues with that. This has come from nothing from my mind.
"I don't think I look at Formula 1 any differently," he said. "It's a new year and there are some different things from in the last few years, but I know the sport, I know how things work here.
"The racing is going to be a little different but all the other things are more or less the same. OK from team-to-team it changes in things outside of the racing but I feel sure it is going to be similar experience."

Kimi Raikkonen backed to lead Lotus F1 comeback

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:31:49 PST

Fonte: Autosport

Kimi Raikkonen can lead Lotus back to winning ways, according to team principal Eric Boullier.
Boullier believes that the 2007 world champion's experience means that he will give the team the clear direction that it needs to deliver on its potential.
"Clearly, he brings a commitment to winning and he knows what he wants," said Boullier. "He is a proper racer and fits in well with a team that is a bunch of proper racers.
"When he is in the car, he knows exactly what he wants and that makes the team's life easier.
"It means more ambition and more responsibility [for the team] but it is also a different way of working with a world champion. He wants to win again and that's an ambition that we share."
Boullier also believes that it will be easy for him to get the best out of Raikkonen during 2012 and that the Finn proved how committed he is during two days of running in a 2010 Renault at Valencia last month.
This is despite question marks over the Finn's motivation to race in F1 after two years in the World Rally Championship.
"How difficult will it be to me?" he said when asked about motivating Raikkonen. "For me, very easy.
"It was an easy discussion [to sign him up] and when he did the couple of days running he showed the team how motivated and professional he is.
"It was a huge boost for the team morale and the team motivation."

Launch by Getty Images

noreply@blogger.com (Myn) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:18:37 PST

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