Following his World Rally Championship debut in the Rally of Finland, Kimi Raikkonen has received a number of positive compliments from the sport’s top stars.
The 2007 Formula One World Championship crashed out on the final day of the event by rolling his Abrath 500 into a ditch.
Despite this, the Finn was classified in a credible fifteenth place, having ran in third place in his class for most of the rally.
“I think he did really well,” said World Rally Champion, Sebastien Loeb, who finished the rally in second place.
“He was about one second per kilometre from Hanninen and the other best drivers and in Finland that is a very good performance,”
Eventual Rally winner, Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen, was also full of praise for Raikkonen’s performance, adding: “I have the same thoughts as Sebastien; I think he did really well, considering he has only ever done two rallies with pace notes. He was setting really good times.”
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Raikkonen isn’t the only current Formula One driver to express an interest in competing in the World Rally Championship.
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, who was a guest at the Rally of Finland with Loeb’s Citroen Team, has also said that he would like to compete in the WRC in the future.
“This is my first time at the World Rally Championship and it’s been fascinating,” said Vettel reflecting on his weekend. “It is high speed and it’s nice to be out at the stages to watch it. It is nearly as quick as F1, but with no run off and on gravel.
“I was able to get some advice from Sebastien Loeb, and there is no one better. I have plenty to do in F1, but who knows maybe one day I will compete in the WRC – I wouldn’t mind doing some drives in the future.”
