08/05/2007
NEWS STORY
Kimi Raikkonen can't wait to get back on track at Barcelona this weekend.
"Usually there aren't breaks that long between one race and the other," said the Finnish driver, referring to the four-week gap between the Bahrain and Spanish events. "We could only drive here at Barcelona last week. More than ever I can't wait to get back on the track, also because the test session at Catalunya was really positive."
Raikkonen was highly satisfied with the tests: "We were able to improve the F2007 considerably, because the new components work really well and the car is now much closer to my style of driving," he said. "I'm much more optimistic now: we can attack the best way possible, as my friend Markku Alen usually says. It's true that you never know how competitive you really are compared to the other teams during the test sessions; obviously for that we have to wait for qualifying and the race; but the lap times give us some hints. As I said previously, we have to improve the performance in qualifying. It was not really easy for me to get all the potential out of the car on a single lap, because we never managed to prepare it at the best. Now I'm really happy about the steps forward: although it's really difficult to overtake another car, even when it's slower, it makes things a lot easier when you want to win, when you can start from the front."
The Finn is a proven winner here in Barcelona, having won the Spanish GP in 2005: "That's true but that doesn't change anything for the upcoming race on Sunday. To be on the front row and to win on the Catalunya circuit you need the best aerodynamics possible and a really good set-up: the whole package has to work the best way possible; after the tests I can see that the team has done some excellent work. The new chicane has made the track a little bit slower, but that applies to all of us: it's still a very demanding track, for cars and drivers. Last February we had a good test session and we have managed to make the set-up even better now, thanks to the new components, which gives me a very positive feeling. All in all the car is much better to drive now.
"We come to Spain to win," he continues, "and we'll do the best to accomplish this goal. It is a hard-fought championship and it is always important to gain as many points as possible.
"The best part of the season is yet to start," says the Finn, "summer is coming and we race in Europe. Now I can also follow the important part of the ice hockey season, because I'm a really big fan. Over the last few days I have watched all the world championship games in Moscow and also the playoff in the Stanley Cup, where my friend Teemu Selanne plays for the Mighty Ducks from Anaheim: the Finnish national team and my friend are doing really well and I'm really happy about that. I also did some exercises on ice, but also on the green, as the golf season is about to start: my swing is ready!"