Raikkonen head-start no shock to teammate Grosjean
Kimi Raikkonen has revealed he is no fan of F1′s ‘DRS’ concept. The former world champion was busy in the world rally series last year when formula one introduced the moveable rear wing system, designed to boost overtaking.
Having skipped the 2010 season entirely on television, Raikkonen began to watch some grands prix last year when his thirst for circuit racing returned.
“The way the DRS wings work is for me a little ridiculous,” he admitted to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. “Overtaking is not really a great art anymore.
“You just put the wing down and go past easily,” said the 32-year-old. “The guy in front can’t really do anything.
“But I agree that at least it makes the show better,” added Raikkonen.
He admitted that his brief stint in American Nascar racing last year rekindled his love for wheel-to-wheel.
“I realised how much I was missing it,” said the former McLaren and Ferrari driver. “That doesn’t mean I am sick of rallying; actually I’d like to do both but that’s not possible.
“But if you want to race and you have the choice, first you look at formula one,” he added.
Raikkonen was the fastest of all when 2012 testing kicked off at Jerez on Tuesday, insisting he is not fazed at the prospect of returning after two years away.
“For me it’s easier to get used to the (Pirelli) tyres than it was for the others a year ago. For me it’s more like a new beginning.”
As for the refuelling ban, which came in last year, Raikkonen insists: “That’s no big deal — the pitstop is just a little shorter.
“Driving with the heavier car is not like day and night; it’s still the same sport. There’s just a few more buttons to push on the steering wheel.”
Raikkonen head-start no shock to teammate Grosjean
Romain Grosjean says he understands the initial preference in 2012 given to his famous Lotus teammate, Kimi Raikkonen.
Frenchman Grosjean, with just 7 grands prix under his belt in 2009, is paired this year with Raikkonen, who has spent the last two seasons in world rallying.
Although they have both been away from the F1 grid for the past two seasons, it is Raikkonen who was granted an exclusive re-acclimatisation test recently, and the first two days of official testing this week at Jerez.
Grosjean, 25, insists to Le Matin newspaper: “It’s going well between us.
“It does not shock me that he began the testing for marketing reasons. He was world champion and he will also need some time to adjust to being back in the game.
“Together with Kimi, we want to do everything so that Lotus is in the best possible position on the grid and I do not intend to fuss over topics that I cannot control,” he added.
source: GMM