Raikkonen encouraged by pre-Finland test

21st July 2010

By Richard Rodgers

Former Grand Prix champion Kimi Raikkonen has been encouraged by his test prior to Rally Finland in his Citroen Junior Team C4 WRC.

The Finn completed two days of testing in preparation for his home event, which he completed last year at the wheel of an Abarth Grande Punto S2000.

The test concentrated primarily on matching the suspension and damper set-up to the unique flat-out conditions of Rally Finland, with its rollercoaster crests and flowing compact gravel roads.

However, Raikkonen believes that his experience from last year – when he consistently ran in the top three of the Group N classification before crashing out – will not necessarily help him on this year’s Rally Finland.

“The gap between the Super 2000 car and the World Rally Car is so big that it’s almost like doing a different rally,” he said. “Of course it helps to have some idea of what the roads are like. But when it comes to driving, it will be a completely different experience.”

Raikkonen, whose best result so far this year is fifth on the Rally of Turkey in April, is simply prioritising a finish on his home event. “That’s going to be the main aim, for sure,” he said. “But after the test I have a good feeling with the car, so let’s just see what happens.”