Lotus has a fast car, but it needs badly long stints. E21 suffered from data-breaks already in Jerez and it continued in Barcelona on Tuesday.
– The new computer system causes problems. When you don't get data in the car during driving you can't drive much, all you can do is short stints, Kimi Räikkönen agonized.
Räikkönen drove 44 laps in Barcelona. The impression of the new car being an improvement from last year's car only got stronger.
– Everything in the car feels better - starting from the tires. Once we get more work done and more downforce in the car it will make driving even easier, Räikkönen thinks.
- A test is always a test. If there are problems then it's never nice to sit and wonder, but it's normal in tests, Räikkönen said to MTV3.
- I rather test on these tracks where races take place. In that sense it's better in Barcelona than in Jerez.
Räikkönen confirmed the observation he made already in Jerez, that the new Lotus car is better than the predecessor.
- Of course there are a few things that needs to be fixed and improved. If comparing to last year's beginning, or race, it feels better. It's difficult to say how far it will take us. It's not a bad start, Kimi commented on his car.
- The car has also got a little more grip, so of course it helps, Kimi added.
thank you for posting all the news and articles " title="hug" /> when I have a wee free time I manage to have all here without searching around... " title="ty" />
My pleasure, here's anotherone from Nicole (Kulta):
ZitatRäikkönen took a test-nap
F1 | Turun Sanomat 23:31
Kimi Räikkönen worked hard last season by beating his Lotus through all 20 GP-races and hence collecting 6081 race kilometers.
This year's winter tests haven't begun as brilliantly. During four days in Jerez and Barcelona Räikkönen's new Lotus has collected only 948 kilometeres - in other words only half of what was scheduled.
The opening day in Barcelona was screwed up due to the new computer system coughing when transmitting telemetry. On Wednesday Räikkönen spent his most frustrating day so far on the paddock when the team had to fix the leaking gearbox in his car.
But Kimi didn't stress about the situation.
– If you remember last season then now we have two more testing days than last year, when we lost the whole testing week in Barcelona.
– Of course this isn't an ideal situation. No driver likes to fart around the paddock and watch how others drive. Now the gearbox broke down and since the car is new we didn't have a new gearbox to get it replaced. It had to be fixed and it took almost the whole day before it was fixed.
Räikkönen took a nap and when he finally got in the car he immediately put in Wednesday's 3rd fastest laptime.
Räikkönen was 0,8 seconds behind McLaren's Sergio Perez.
– We hardly got anything done that we had planned for beforehand. I would rather drive 150 laps in a day, but sometimes it goes like this and to be frank it's better to take something like this now than in the first races.
Räikkönen praised the car's speed and emphasized that the team knows how to improve it before Australia GP.
Amount of testing doesn't decide the result
– Hopefully we have a good weather next week, get all the new parts in the car and can drive good testing days. The feeling inside the car is good and it's a good sign. Although the car is new and the parts are new, we are still in a better position than a year ago and don't have to go through everything from the scratch, Räikkönen thinks.
Not even the small amount of driving affects Räikkönen negatively.
– It it's required then you can go to the race without any testing and still do well. The result doesn't depend upon the testing laps. But one can't say anything about those things beforehand. We strive to do our best every time and we did learn something new from these days also. Every time we drive we learn new things about the car.
Räikkönen doesn't agree with the general opinion about of Pirelli's new tires being consumed fast.
– It's yet too early to say anything about them. If I remember correctly the approach was similar last winter during tests when the weather was cold and then in the races the tires worked differently when it was more summery, Räikkönen thinks.
Helsingin Sanomat 11.2.2013 (paper edition) By Ari Pusa
The WDC from year 2007 attracts international media like fly-paper.
What is most memorable from the season's first winter tests which ended on Friday in Jerez?
The incredible interest in Kimi Räikkönen.
When Räikkönen had his first international media-event on Thursday evening over 100 reporters and photographers from the whole world's media were present.
No other driver was crowded the same way. Räikkönen attracts media like fly-paper.
Why?
There is something strange and fascinating in Räikkönen's persona, that for a Finn is sometimes difficult to understand.
Räikkönen talks silently and his answers are the usual F1-jargon, yet they interest.
"There is electricity in him, something that can't be found in others", Autosport's reporter summed up.
What adds to the interest in him is without doubt the fact that he is a talented driver. He learns unusually fast how to control and setup a F1-car.
A driver like this is a gold nugget to the team. Not to talk about Lotus, who thanks to Räikkönen's victory in Abu Dhabi got new sponsors.
According to rumours on the paddock Lotus still owes the victory-bonuses to Räikkönen, but they don't talk about it. Räikkönen isn't troubled over it - at least yet - because he doesn't need any pocket change.
Räikkönen was calm and professional in Jerez although he had drama in his own private life.
The last years have clearly matured him as a human being.
I think Nicole translates faster than I can post h" title="hih" />
Eric Boullier made sure on Barcelona's test-paddock not to admit even mistakenly that Lotus will start winning races starting from the first GP-race - although he would very much had wanted to announce it.
Although only the second phase of winter tests are behind Lotus can still be congratulated at least for maintaining last year's momentum.
The new car is at least as competitive as it's predecessor. It also has reliability once all parts of the car are properly tested in the factory's test bench.
A year ago Lotus lost completely their second testing week when one bonding was built too weak. The lost four days didn't affect the speed, since Romain Grosjean immediately took the car to the third grid. Kimi Räikkönen struggled with qualification-estimations with his engineers and was left behind in the quali, however he took the car to points from far behind.
Had Räikkönen started from the third grid like Grosjean, then who knows what kind of a result the E20 would have got in the debut race.
Now Räikkönen and Grosjean are both sharpening their nails so they could get good starting positions - and race result.
We know more about the power relations after finishing next week, but like Valtteri Bottas said after his own test session - One thing is for sure, at least Red Bull, McLaren and Lotus have strong cars!
ZitatRäikkönen squeezed the champion of All Stars on Moscow ice
F1 | Turun Sanomat 19:28
Kimi Räikkönen and Charles Pic took part in Russian All Stars -race as invited guests to race with Russian racing drivers on an ice-track in Moscow.
Although the visit on Saturday was a PR-event for Räikkönen and Pic, the Russian champions were racing seriously. Russian's oldest car-magazine "Za Ruljom" (Behind the steering wheel) arranges this traditional race.
They also have a tradition of inviting international stars to Moscow. Because Renault sponsors the event they sent Räikkönen and Pic there.
Räikkönen and Pic drove VIP-guests and media reporters around the track in a small Renault Logan.
In between races the F1-drivers raced each other and Räikkönen was much more faster than Pic, as was expected too.
At the end of the event they arranged two super finals where each driver faced the winner of All Stars -race, the champion of touring-racing Kirill Ladygin, in a duel.
Ladygin, who is a real professional, beat Pic easily but the situation with Räikkönen was completely different. Kimi battled until the end and was twice just about to overtake Ladygin. However the Russian pilot managed to maintain his position to the finish line.
After the race Ladygin confessed to the Russian media that the guests weren't offered enough of time to practice and didn't because of that know these cars as well as the Russian drivers.
"In between races the F1-drivers raced each other and Räikkönen was much more faster than Pic, as was expected too."
Sure? Is this translation right? Because I heard that Pic beats Kimi...some people on internet wrote this: "CHARLES WON AGAINST KIMI, HE WON ON HIS FIRST RACE ON ICE AGAINST THE ICEMAN! NOW COME TELL ME HE HAS NO TALENT BITCHES!" ...and so on
" title="hmm" /> Natalie Pinkham was there.. We could look at her twitter.
But the article above states that TS(Turun Sanomat) reported from Moskova (see end of article). It makes me believe that TS did live reporting in the event..
Zitat von Didi"In between races the F1-drivers raced each other and Räikkönen was much more faster than Pic, as was expected too."
Sure? Is this translation right? Because I heard that Pic beats Kimi...some people on internet wrote this: "CHARLES WON AGAINST KIMI, HE WON ON HIS FIRST RACE ON ICE AGAINST THE ICEMAN! NOW COME TELL ME HE HAS NO TALENT BITCHES!" ...and so on
So what is a true? Does anyone know?
" title="dunno" /> I think that was because of this tweet
ZitatF1 Racing @F1Racing_mag It was a close one but @Charles_Pic1 stuffed it up the inside at Turn 1 at the beginning of the third lap... He's the winner!
but not sure which race that was and if that was against Kimi? " title="hmm" /> don't think the translation is worng, all articles - you also see that on the podium pics - say that Kimi was second behind that Russian guy and Pic third.
maybe Loiste can tell us more since she was there " title="ii" />
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Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:24 am
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" title="doh" /> I remember that now. 
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