quote'I destroyed the car quite badly' - Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen said his spin on the final day of testing was "not the end of the word" as he brushed off the accident that saw him finish Saturday's session in the barrier.
With just five minutes remaining Raikkonen lost the rear of his Ferrari on the exit of Turn Four and destroyed the nose of the car against the barriers. However, with four full days before the start of the next test in Bahrain the team will have no problems fixing the F14 T.
"I spun and crashed in the wall unfortunately," Raikkonen said. "I destroyed the car quite badly but luckily we can fix it, it's just a little bit of work unfortunately. But that's how it goes. Maybe it was me, but sometimes it happens and it's not like it's the end of the world even if people like to think it is. I just got wheelspin and went to the inside and into the wall."
Raikkonen said Ferrari would start to explore the potential of its car at the final test next week.
"I think it's not too bad. Lap time wise I don't know yet, we will have to see next week, but there are not any major issues. There are things we want to improve and we can improve, but we're just trying to understand what happens when you change things [with the set-up], what the car will do. Every car is different and it's hard to know, but we are getting some idea what we want to do. I think it's pretty okay, but for sure we want to improve and there is a long way to go."
quoteNico Rosberg Q&A: Race distance on 100 litres was tough Q: So if you don’t know where the car is, how about the driver - what will be the biggest challenge for a driver this season? NR: All the new systems. The whole hybrid power - there is a lot complications in that. Then coming to terms with the fuel saving to make it to the chequered flag. Bahrain, for example, will be a tough one. When I did the race distance in the afternoon it was difficult to make it with the one hundred litres we are allowed. That will be an issue for all of us.
Q: How do you see Red Bull in the context of favourites this season? NR: Definitely it is clear that we are ahead in testing at the moment with regards to reliability, as we’ve been able to do so many more laps than them and covered so many problems as a result of that. We’ve been able to solve and cure, so by the time we get to Melbourne most issues should be behind us - hopefully.
Q: What part will the tyres play this year? NR: The tyres are modified to last season, so there are some differences and so new problems will come our way now. We have less downforce, so we are wearing the tyres less which could mean that there will be an issue in bringing them to temperature, whereas many times last year they were overheating. So there will be new challenges - never a dull moment! (laughs)
Q: How will that work with the fuel consumption? Will you get told by the pit wall every lap how much you can use - meaning how fast you can go to stay within the limits of the computer calculations? NR: It’s the first full-blown race distance and for testing that Bahrain is a pretty tough place. It was a real challenge to do a full distance with the hundred litres. That will need a perfect interaction between pit wall and cockpit in the races. We are working on that - like on everything else - to get it bulletproof for Melbourne.
I don't like this at all, hope Kimi can deal with this the right way...
Could you imagine losing the race, or the championship, because you run out of gas!
Some say that the girl he hugs in this pic is Minty but I disagree. She is more tanned than that woman
Anyway I dont try to read anything into testing this year as there are so many new factors which one has to take into account for the race this year! And I doubt that I like all the new rule changes! It really makes me feel to be faraway from F1 =S
"Walk on, through the wind, Walk on, through the rain, Though your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart, And you'll never walk alone, YOU`LL NEVER WALK ALONE!!!"
Quote: claudie wrote in post #398Some say that the girl he hugs in this pic is Minty but I disagree. She is more tanned than that woman
Anyway I dont try to read anything into testing this year as there are so many new factors which one has to take into account for the race this year! And I doubt that I like all the new rule changes! It really makes me feel to be faraway from F1 =S
I wondered too if that is her but who else could that be that he greets like that?
yeah I doubt that too but lets see, maybe it will turn out better than we think.. as long as Kimi is fast..
Nah, don't look like her.... also that hug looks more like "friends who haven't seen each other for a while" kind of hug. They live together, don't think they need to hug in the paddock.
Quote: YiNing wrote in post #400Nah, don't look like her.... also that hug looks more like "friends who haven't seen each other for a while" kind of hug. They live together, don't think they need to hug in the paddock.
true but in Bahrain aren't that many people in the paddock.. it's not a team person, I doubt it's a journalist so.. anyway, doesn't matter
Quote: YiNing wrote in post #400Nah, don't look like her.... also that hug looks more like "friends who haven't seen each other for a while" kind of hug. They live together, don't think they need to hug in the paddock.
I agree with you YiNing. In fact she even lifted up her sunglasses in case Kimi couldn't recognize her. I'm sure Kimi can recognize Minttu with or without sunnies.
Let's hope Kimi feels great with the car comes thu & sat!
"Walk on, through the wind, Walk on, through the rain, Though your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart, And you'll never walk alone, YOU`LL NEVER WALK ALONE!!!"
Sakhir, 26 February –The final test prior to the start of the season for Scuderia Ferrari and the other ten Formula 1 teams gets underway tomorrow. Once again, it takes place in Bahrain, an ideal location because of its temperate climate, similar to that which the drivers and teams can expect to encounter at many of the opening rounds of the 2014 season. Tomorrow and Saturday, Kimi Raikkonen will be on driving duty for Ferrari, with Fernando Alonso at the wheel on Friday and Sunday. Testing runs from 9 in the morning to 5.30 pm, with a 30 minute lunch break at 1 o’clock.
The Scuderia’s work schedule is already mapped out. These four days will see a continuation of the work of shaking down and fine tuning all the components on the car, with particular attention focusing on the new power unit, which will be signed off on Friday in accordance with the FIA”s homologation process.
In the mornings, the team will also work on doing runs to check all the new systems, as well as continuing to look at set-up. The afternoon will see some long run tests, while monitoring all the elements of the F14 T, as well as evaluating the how the car works with the Pirelli tyres.