05/02/2012
NEWS STORY
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Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean return to F1 this year, the Lotus duo talk of their hopes for the season ahead and their delight at being back on the grid.
Why have you chosen to return to F1?
Kimi Raikkonen: Formula 1 is something very special in my racing career, and you always want to race at the toughest level, so Formula 1 is where you want to race if you have a choice.
How quickly did the deal come about with the Lotus F1 Team?
KR: Everything came together quite quickly. We shared a common goal and everyone was happy. This was the only way to do it and everything went pretty well from there.
What do you think of the team now you've completed two days testing?
KR: I'm happy with the team, they are very nice people, very easy going and it was nice to work with them for the two days I did in the R30. I think we'll have a lot of fun in the season ahead and hopefully we will get some good results. I want a strong enough car to challenge for good results.
When did you decide to finish rallying and to go back to Formula 1?
KR: When I did the NASCAR races, I enjoyed the racing and I want to do more racing. I still want to do rally and if I could I'd do them both at the same time - but this isn't possible. For sure I will do rallying again in the future. I want to do racing as I had a really good time in NASCAR racing against other people and I realised that I was missing this - that's when I decided that if there was a good chance to return properly that I would do it.
If you'd been in rallying with sufficient time could you have been as good as Sebastien Loeb?
KR: I don't know! I don't think anyone is as good as him right now! For sure I could have improved, but I don't know how far. I'd improved last year from where I was in 2010. I went to rallying to see how well I could do and I still think that it's one of the most difficult sports that I have ever tried. |t's not easy! The guys at the front are very fast, but equally if you put them in a Formula 1 car they would probably have a similar story to me in rallying. I think I would need another couple of years with testing. With rallying there are so many different surfaces and it's completely different from Formula 1.
What are your thoughts on how F1 has changed since you last competed?
KR: In 2010 I didn't really follow Formula 1 but I saw more races last year. It doesn't really look different, but there is overtaking in some different places where people can just drive past by opening the rear wing and the driver in front has no chance to defend himself - so is this really overtaking? I don't think it counts all the time. But for sure the show is better.
The tyres make a difference too, as there is a big speed difference between when the tyres are new and when the tyres are old. In the old Formula 1, you had to be so much faster than the guy in front of you to have any chance to overtake, but now with the tyres and the DRS, it's different.
Do you have anything to prove with your return?
KR: I think people expect things from me, but as long as I know that I'm giving 100% and I'm happy with my driving then I'm happy. If those aspects are true and it's not enough, then it's not enough.
How's your motivation?
KR: 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. My feeling is that I probably drove some of my best races in my last season in Formula 1 and I was very happy with my performance. I've never had any issues with motivation.
What are your thoughts on KERS and DRS - you didn't have them when you tested the R30.
KR: I've driven with KERS before and DRS is just a button. Once you've done it a few times it will become automatic.
How well do you know your new team-mate, Romain Grosjean?
KR: I think we will have a good relationship. I met him before Christmas and I raced against him in 2009. He seems a very nice and normal guy, so I don't see any problems there.
How is your fitness for Formula 1's challenges after two years rallying?
KR: For sure, the G forces are different, but you get pretty good G forces in some tarmac rallies. The steering is probably a bit heavier in rallying too. You sit in different position and you use different muscles. Rallying overall is probably not as physically tough in short bursts like Formula 1 but it's pretty mentally tough as you spend the whole week for about 12 hours a day in a car driving. In this way rallying is much more tiring than Formula 1. The driving itself is more physical in Formula 1, but I'm looking forward to getting more sleep.
Lotus F1 Team is fighting to be back at the front, how can you help in this battle?
KR: In my last year at Ferrari we weren't always at the front but I'm a good racer and I want to get to the front. Lotus started well last year and we hope that the new car will be strong.
How does it feel to have a full-time F1 drive?
Romain Grosjean: It's just starting to sink in. It's a dream come true to get this drive. A fantastic emotion and a fantastic challenge as well. I think the team has a really good line-up for this year, with Kimi and myself. Hopefully we can do something special. I think I'll only truly realise it when we get to Melbourne and I see my name on the official entry list. For now I'm really happy to be at the factory as much as I can, to get involved with the team and get ready for testing.
How do you view this season - you had a part season two years ago - so is this a part-rookie year?
RG: It's difficult to say how I should view this season. For sure I did seven Grands Prix alongside Fernando [Alonso] and the experience I gained from that was helpful - and is still helpful today. On the other hand there are still some circuits that I don't know. But I don't think we can say I'm a rookie, just because of the experience I have. Let's say that I am a young driver who still has plenty of things to learn in Formula One, but we are all expecting a good season.
How and why is the 2012 specification Romain Grosjean different compared to the 2009 version?
RG: Compared with 2009 I am two years older! No big difference, just an improvement in terms of many small things, including maturity. The 2009 experience was very helpful for me to understand things and grow up from that point. So it was difficult, but very good as well. The 2012 Romain Grosjean sees life a little bit different. My aim is to enjoy my number one passion, Formula One.
How did you get the drive for 2012?
RG: The process for getting the 2012 drive really began with GP2, where my goal was to bring DAMS back to the top and show that I can be a team leader. For sure winning the title was something that we all wanted, but championships can depend on many things. Then there were the two Friday morning sessions in Formula One, which were a real test in terms of seeing if I had the speed, feedback and everything the team was looking for. I knew it was very important and it went well, but then you just have to wait. That was the most difficult part, but I knew I'd done everything - the best I could do - so I had no regrets. I was waiting and just trying to read the faces of the people in the team to imagine what the decision would be! That's always part of this job. You get used to it year after year.
How have your pre-season preparations gone?
RG: My winter preparations have not been too bad. I've just been doing some training until I can drive the car. Fortunately it's not long until the first test on February 7. I'm trying to come to the factory as much as I can, to spend some time and discuss things with the engineers - grab a beer, or whatever! It's a long season - 20 Grands Prix plus testing - to spend with the same people and it's important that you get along well with everyone. I'm very happy to be with them and part of this team. I think I've changed since 2009 and the team sees that. The relationship is much stronger and much better today.
What do you expect will be your biggest challenge in 2012?
RG: Formula One is a big, big challenge, but I think the biggest challenge personally will be to get 100 per cent out of myself and the car, every time. No mistakes. That is the life of a Formula One driver. You need to get 100 per cent out of the car, focus, concentrate and improve lap after lap. So I hope we can have a good car from the beginning of the season, some good ambitions going into the first race and just develop all season long.
What do you think of the new car?
RG: From what I've seen of the new car so far, I can say that the colours are the same! We will see when get on the track. Hopefully it will be a good car and we can give it a nice nickname after the first test. Then we will try to improve it lap after lap and session after session.
It's a new tyre supplier since you last race in Formula 1 - do you expect that to make a difference?
RG: I think Pirelli had a really, really good first year in Formula One. There have been some changes for 2012, and I think tyres will be key again. We need to get them working when we need, and save them when we need. Things have changed a lot since the Bridgestone era. It's part of the show today, to manage your tyres, and we have seen some big, big differences in tyre wear on some tracks which have made Formula One more attractive than a few years ago.
How is your knowledge of the circuits?
RG: I don't know Albert Park, I don't know Shanghai, I don't know Canada, America nobody knows, India I don't know and Korea I don't know. So in the early stages of the season I know all the tracks except Albert Park and Shanghai. I know Sepang and Bahrain. We will see what happens.
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