user icon
icon

Kimi Raikkonen: "It feels like I've never been away"

link-icon
<< Return to the news list
Kimi Raikkonen: "It feels like I've never been away"
A three week gap between Malaysia and China comes as a welcome break for the drivers. We caught up with Kimi to hear what the 2007 World Champion has been up to, his thoughts on the season so far, and the ‘New Kimi’ who seems to be the talk of the paddock…

Kimi, after a busy start to the year it must be good to have a break before the next race; what have you been up to?
Raikkonen: "I went straight to Beirut from Malaysia for the Lotus Cars Lebanon dealership launch event which was a good evening. I haven’t had much time back home yet, but I’ll be making the most of it to catch up with people and have a bit of fun. We have to keep training hard to maintain good fitness for every race, so there’s still that to consider."

Now that you’ve had time to reflect on the first two races, how has the season been for you so far?
Raikkonen: "I think we’ve got off to an encouraging start. It’s been frustrating sometimes with the chassis issues in testing, the qualifying mix-up in Australia and the gearbox change in Malaysia, but we’ve shown we can deal with any problems and come back stronger. It feels like I’ve never been away; the team has done a good job and I’m working well with them which makes things easier. The car feels good and we clearly have the pace to be at the front; we just need some better luck."

There’s been a lot of talk about the ‘New Kimi’ this season; do you think you’ve changed since you left the sport?
Raikkonen: "Not really, I’m still the same person as I was before. Maybe people see me as more relaxed, which I think is down to the team. It’s a different atmosphere to what I’ve experienced before; everyone is very open and laid back but at the same time they work extremely hard and pay a lot of attention to detail. I feel comfortable here which helps me to focus on racing; I guess that’s why people seem to think I’m a different person, but I’m just as focused and motivated as before."
F1 News Lotus F1

Replies (0)

Login to reply

AZ Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

AZAzerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

More news

Test calendar

Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing

Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing

Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing

See full test schedule

World Championship standings 2026

Pos
Team
Points
1
Mercedes
180
2
Ferrari
112
3
McLaren
94
4
Red Bull Racing
30
5
Alpine F1
21
6
Haas F1
18
7
Racing Bulls
14
8
Williams
5
9
Audi
2
Show full world champion standings

Related news

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2026

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
China
Shanghai International Circuit
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2026

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Spain Circuit de Catalunya
-
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
-
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
China Shanghai International Circuit
27 - Mar 29
Japan Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain Circuit de Catalunya
See full schedule

Team profile

Lotus F1
Lotus F1
Show full profile
show sidebar