Riding with a happy Kimi Raikkonen, CAR+ October 2015

Published: 16 September 2015 Updated: 16 September 2015

► Interview with Kimi Raikkonen
► Re-signed with Ferrari for 2016
► Hoping for successful 2016 season

‘Next season will be better’

My new deal doesn’t change much. I’ve known about me staying with Ferrari for some time and the aim is to do well in the second half of 2015 and even better next year. I’m pretty sure we’re going to make a good car for next season and the aim will be to win races.

‘I know I can still win  F1 races’

I still have the speed; the reason I haven’t had great results this year is because I haven’t put it all together, for various reasons. If I were way off then it would be time to go. But that’s not the case. I’m learning from the bad races and I’m going to make things better.

‘Seb and I want the same thing’ 

There was one race this year when I was a bit lost with regards set-up, so I adopted more or less what Seb [Vettel] had on his car. It worked out fine because our cars are set-up very similarly. That’s good for the team because we can go in one direction with the development…

‘I’ve got a great boss’

I’ve known Maurizio [Arrivabene] for a long time and we get on well. He’s very straightforward, but I haven’t seen him when he’s angry and I know he can be hard when something isn’t as he wants it! He’s the right guy for Ferrari because he knows the team and the sport well.

‘There could have been another title’

I led a lot of races in 2005, but retired from many of them. With fewer problems, I might have won that title. And there was 2003, when I lost the title by two points. I probably didn’t deserve that one – I only won one race and Michael [Schumacher] won most of them.

‘The Ferrari FF is a nice motor’

The Ferrari FF is a good car – as you can see, Tom! They give me one to use when I’m in Switzerland and it’s great. If you have a family, there’s space for luggage and all the things that come with having children. If I were buying a Ferrari, I’d probably buy one of these.

By Tom Clarkson

F1 correspondent, BBC pitlane man, accesser of all areas, head beans-spiller

Comments