Formula One news
Räikkönen hoping for more luck
08 July 2009Kimi Räikkönen admits that luck has not been on his side during Grands Prix in Germany, with several podium finishes and race wins lost in recent years due to accidents and technical problems. With a non-race winning Ferrari car this season, however, the Finn is hoping for as strong a result as possible.
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| A last lap suspension breakage saw a win disappear in 2005 |
Having clinched his first pole position at the Nürburgring for McLaren in 2003, Räikkönen's fortunes at the track have been varied, with a last lap retirement from the lead being the cruellest blow two years later. "The statistics tell the opposite but I really like racing in Germany, especially at the Nürburgring," said the 2007 World Champion.
"I have gained the pole four times but I could never win - maybe I just haven't been lucky enough here or at Hockenheim; just look at the last race, for example - I gained the pole position, but right after the start there was a downpour and the race was suspended. When it started again I was in third position with a perfect strategy but then had to retire due to a hydraulic problem."
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| More clouds than one have hung over Ferrari this season |
As honest as ever in 2009, Kimi admits that the sight of no Ferrari driver on the top step of a podium could occur for the first time since 1993. "Realistically this year, our objective can't be a win," he plainly admitted. "We still have to make up ground compared to the leaders, as far as the performance is concerned. There are still nine races until the end of this extremely difficult season for us; our objective has to be to give it our all race after race, without thinking that the leaders are so many points ahead of us - I really trust the team's work and its capacity to close the gap between us and the leaders."
How has Kimi, who celebrates his 30th birthday in October, been spending his time during the three-week gap between races? "I went to Finland to enjoy the summer there with my family and some close friends and played some tennis," he recalled. "I want to thank Ferrari for giving me the possibility to participate in the 1000 Lakes Rally with the Fiat Grande Punto at the end of July; I have already tested over the last few days, but my approach remains the same - it has nothing to do with Formula One, it's purely for pleasure."
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