Kimi Matias Raikkonen, who is known for his calm and composed demeanor in a sport full of thrill and action, will be racing for the second time in India. Driving for Team Lotus, the Iceman finished seventh last year at the 60-lap race in Greater Noida's Buddh International Circuit (BIC). And the 2007 champion is eyeing a stronger qualifying session this season in India to boost his chances of victory.
Raikkonen started his Formula One career as a regular driver for Sauber-Petronas in 2001 and joined Mercedes in 2002. With his superb performances, the Finn finished runner-up in the 2003 and 2005 championships to Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, respectively.
After spending nine seasons in Formula One, Raikkonen decided to quit and compete in the World Rally Championship in 2010 and 2011. However, in 2012, the 34-year-old returned to Formula One, joining Lotus, and finished third in the drivers' standing with 207 points.
The 2013 season has been a good one for Raikkonen as he is currently third in the drivers' standings with one win and eight other finshes on the podium so far. His consistency paid off as Ferrari decided to sign him for a two-year contract, replacing Mark Webber, from the 2014 season onward.
Speaking to IBNLive.com, Raikkonen shared his Formula One experience and driving in India.
How was your first Indian Grand Prix experience?
Raikkonen: It was okay, but could have been better. We struggled for grip over the weekend last year and we made life difficult with the change of setup before qualifying. After that, there was nothing really to do on Sunday. In the race itself we had enough speed to challenge for the top positions, but we got stuck behind slower cars and overtaking was impossible. I can remember spending a lot of the race trying to get past Felipe [Massa], so that wasn't ideal.
What's your opinion of the Buddh International Circuit?
Raikkonen: It's quite an interesting track; one of the better ones from the modern circuits. It's quite similar to Korea; long straights, not terribly challenging corners and hard braking. It's not as technical as Korea, which was another new track for me last year, but it's good. It's always nice to go to a new place like India. It's certainly a good track to go fast with a strong car in front of all the others.
Tell us about the Lotus car with three Grand Prix to go in the season.
Raikkonen: The car felt pretty strong all weekend and we've made good progress with it recently. It's still not exactly as I want it, and we're trying to get rid of some under-steer which is something I don't like. In Japan, it was hard to show our real pace at the beginning of the race as I was stuck behind slower cars for quite a long time. After the final pit stop, when I got a bit of free air, the car was working much better. It ran well in the last half of the race and I was very happy with it.
We have seen great overtaking moves from you...
Raikkonen: Unfortunately, when you don't have an ideal qualifying, it makes life a bit harder on Sunday. It's not easy to overtake at Suzuka, and we weren't so fast in a straight line, which made it more tricky, but I got past a few people which was important after the slow start. With Nico [Hulkenberg], I managed to get a good run on him leading up to the chicane, which is what made the difference. We did what we could.
What do you like about India?
Raikkonen: It was my first visit here [last year] and I spent my time in the paddock and the hotel. We only come to race and India is a very big country. The thing I like is eating Indian food, which I really enjoy.
What is your target this time in India?
Hopefully, we finally get it right in qualifying as the last five qualifying sessions have not been that great for me. If we don't, it's going to be a difficult Sunday afternoon, although, of course, we'll keep pushing. If we do get it right, then we can really go for it.
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