Vodafone Racing

For the first time, five Citroën DS3 WRCs will compete in a round of the World Rally Championship

Petter Solberg, Kimi Räikkönen and Peter van Merksteijn Jr are racing under their own colours in Rally Portugal in cars that are identical to those run by the Citroën Total World Rally Team. These have been put at their disposal by Citroën Racing Technologies.

For several seasons, Citroën Racing has been developing its activities in the World Rally Championship through Citroën Racing Technologies. This back-up programme for privateers at the top level is continuing in 2011 with the Citroën DS3 WRC.

“The changes in the regulations have forced all the drivers to enter the latest generation WRCs,” says Benoit Nogier, the Citroën Racing Technologies director. “Citroën Racing has decided to provide Citroën DS3 WRCs for privateers. These cars have the same specification as the works cars and comply with the same homologation sheet.”

Petter Solberg and Kimi Räikkönen began their season in the World Rally Championship in Sweden. The Norwegian finished fifth (with three fastest times) and the Finn scored the points that went with eighth place.

In Mexico, Solberg just missed out on a podium finish (five fastest times) after leading the rally in the early stages. In the third round of the championship in Portugal, Petter Solberg, Kimi Räikkönen and Peter van Merksteijn Jr all have very different aims in their Citroën DS3 WRCs.

Petter Solberg (Petter Solberg World Rally Team): “I always enjoy rallying in Portugal. The event is both quick and very technical and suits me good. We learned a lot about the car on gravel in Mexico, and also learned a lot during our test day here in Portugal. As usual, I want to finish on the podium, and I know we have the speed to do so. Crossing my fingers for a problem free rally.”

Kimi Räikkönen (Ice 1 Racing): “We made a good start to the championship in the Swedish Rally. We were closer to the leaders than last year. But we’re still learning. Since then we’ve taken part in a test day to get to grips with the car on gravel. It feels good and I can’t wait to be at the start of the Portuguese Rally.”

Peter van Merksteijn Junior (Van Merksteijn Motorsport): “I was able to get used to the car in a two-day test. We ran through a wide range of setups. The DS3 WRC is a bit like a kart as it reacts immediately to the slightest input from the driver. The car really made a big impression on me as did the team, which is very professional. I’m really looking forward to tackling my first rally of the season.”

Andrea Stella who was Kimi Räikkönen’s race engineer in Ferrari, got to cheer over the season’s first Grand Prix -victory with Fernando Alonso on Sunday

Räikkönen saved Ferrari’s victories when winning Spa in 2009. Now Alonso opened this season’s account of victories in the 9th race.

Stella agrees to compare these two victories only as similar emotional states.

– With Kimi we won in 2009 although our car wasn’t anywhere when it came to competitiveness. Now we have improved all the time and are competitively closer to the others. In that sense the victory in Belgium was much more unique, Stella assured to Turun Sanomat.

– Only thing similar in these victories was the equally big satisfaction that they brought us. I remember best Kimi’s victory in 2007, in the season’s last race in Brazil. The feeling can’t get much better than that, Stella assured.

– In fact all victories that I have experienced with Michael Schumacher, Kimi and Fernando have been very good.

Is Ferrari and Alonso now back in the WC-battle?

– If you look at the latest races we have been there all the time. Hopefully this won’t remain as one singular victory. Usually it goes so that if you are fast in Silverstone, then you are also fast on other tracks, Stella thinks.

The Italian engineer admitted that Red Bull’s problems in the pitstop helped, but that they weren’t the only reason to Alonso’s victory.

– At that point we got to lead the race but our pace wasn’t at least worse than Red Bull’s was. The updates we brought to this race worked as we expected too also, Stella thought.

Turun Sanomat, Silverstone

HEIKKI KULTA

Courtesy: Nicole

A mega-comeback is preparing in Formula 1. The sensational Red Bull plan: Kimi Räikkönen (31) should drive next year next to Sebastian Vettel!

11.07.2011 – 23:00
By HELMUT UHL and DOROTHEA JANTSCHKE

Everything is still top secret! But BILD learnt: at the highest level, the Finnish world champion from 2007 (with Ferrari) is being touted as the successor of Mark Webber (34).

The facts:

? Kimi Räikkönen left the Formula 1 in 2009. Since then he’s driving rallies for Citroën. His main sponsor there is – Red Bull. The Finn has a contract until the end of 2012 with the beverage manufacturer. Already in 2010, Kimi was in conversations with the bosses to be Vettel’s team-mate, but he wanted to keep on rallying. Now he seems to have changed his mind.

? Red Bull Motorsports-boss Helmut Marko told BILD two weeks ago: “Webber wants to drive in 2012 for us. But we have other options. I don’t want to talk about it now. “

? Webber himself has upset the bosses with his resistance against the team orders on Sunday at Silverstone (“Stay behind Vettel” – but he kept on pushing). He must report. Webber: “If they want to fire me, I have to accept that.”

? Young drivers like Daniel Ricciardo (22/HRT) or Sebastien Buemi (22/Toro Rosso) are not ready yet. Marko: “We need a second winning driver to win the Constructors’ Championship. It brings a lot of money. “

? McLaren’s world champion Lewis Hamilton (26), who had brought himself into play at Red Bull, got rejected by the top boss Dietrich Mateschitz: “He definitely doesn’t drive for us.”
But very likely Räikkönen! He recently confided to a Finnish journalist: “I have never said that my Formula 1 career is over.”

And, Vettel and Räikkönen are friends. To the serious question, whom he would like as a teammate, Vettel recently said: “Kimi.”

Source: Bild.de
Courtesy: Mar