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Räikkönen enjoyed a paltry 30 miles of testing aboard his Abarth Grande Punto S2000

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Inspiredlovers kimi Räikkönen enjoyed a paltry 30 miles of testing aboard his Abarth Grande Punto S2000 Sports  Kimi Raikkonen Formula 1 F1 News

Räikkönen enjoyed a paltry 30 miles of testing aboard his Abarth Grande Punto S2000

In January ’24, we reminisce about the iconic moment when Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen ventured into the world of rallying, marking the 15th anniversary of his debut in this thrilling motorsport discipline.

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Räikkönen’s Transition:
Merely 15 months after clinching the Formula 1 World Championship, Räikkönen boldly embraced a new challenge – international rallying. The Finnish maestro, known for his daring exploits on the F1 circuit, made his rallying debut in the 2009 Arctic Lapland Rally, a significant move that would shape the next phase of his motorsport career.

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Preparation and Setup:
Despite limited testing, with only 30 miles under his belt aboard the Abarth Grande Punto S2000, Räikkönen faced the competition at the first round of the Finnish championship. Questions loomed about his commitment to F1, but Räikkönen, who had a history of snowmobile racing under the pseudonym James Hunt, enlisted the expertise of Tommi Mäkinen and his former co-driver, Kaj Lindström, to fine-tune his Punto for the challenging rally stages.

Event Highlights:
In a field of 130 cars, including a substantial number of four-wheel-drive machines, Räikkönen and Lindström delivered commendable stage times in the Rovaniemi-based event. This rally, which would later become a fixture on the World Rally Championship calendar, witnessed Räikkönen steering his Punto to a 13th-place finish overall, covering nearly 150 miles of competitive action on snow and ice.

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Notable Finish and Further Pursuits:
Less than a minute behind ex-F1 racer JJ Lehto, who secured the ninth position in a Mitsubishi Lancer E9, Räikkönen’s performance hinted at his rallying potential. Encouraged by this debut, Räikkönen participated in three more rallies that year, including his home round of the WRC, where he showcased his skill despite an unfortunate crash.

Full-time Rallying:
The following year saw Räikkönen making a complete switch to rallying with the Citroën Junior Team. Piloting a C4 WRC, he secured a 10th position overall in the WRC, with a notable fifth-place finish in Turkey. His journey continued with a privately-entered Citroën DS3 WRC in 2011, securing six consecutive points finishes and ending the season in the 10th position.

Return to F1:
While Räikkönen found success and consistency in rallying, the demanding WRC schedule eventually led him back to Formula 1 in 2012. His return marked another 10-year stint in the pinnacle of open-wheel racing.

READ: Michael Schumacher is visited by son Mick’s girlfriend this is what happened

Legacy in the Family:
Despite Räikkönen’s return to F1, his legacy lives on in the rallying world. His teenage nephew, Justus, has made a notable mark on the stages, securing class wins in Rally Finland for the past two seasons.

Conclusion:
Kimi Räikkönen’s foray into rallying wasn’t just a fleeting experiment. It unveiled a new facet of his versatile driving skills, leaving an indelible mark on the rallying circuit. From the Arctic Lapland Rally to the World Rally Championship, Räikkönen’s rallying journey remains an intriguing chapter in the annals of motorsport history.

In the ever-evolving landscape of motorsports, Kimi Räikkönen’s transition from F1 to rallying serves as a testament to the boundless possibilities and challenges that drivers can conquer. As we look back on this iconic moment, we celebrate the spirit of a champion who dared to embrace the unknown and redefine his legacy beyond the confines of Formula 1.

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Ferrari warned Lewis Hamilton will cause internal drama

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Inspiredlovers Charles-Leclerc-‘shocked-and-Shows-disappointed-by-Lewis-Hamilton-Ferrari-deal Ferrari warned Lewis Hamilton will cause internal drama Sports

A former Ferrari engineer has criticised the decision to bring in Lewis Hamilton and thinks the Brit’s presence will mean “a lot of potential for drama”.

At the age of 40, seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton will form a formidable driver partnership with Charles Leclerc. His big switch comes at the expense of Carlos Sainz, who has performed well for the Italian squad but who was axed so they had room for their blockbuster new signing.

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But not everyone of a Ferrari persuasion is convinced that it will go well. Ernest Knoors, who spent many years as an engineer at Maranello, specialising in power units, worries that Hamilton’s presence could do more harm than good for a team that is finding its groove under Frederic Vasseur.

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“A big name like Hamilton also brings a lot of politics and if politics within Ferrari are not managed well, then there is a lot of potential for drama,” he told Formule1.nl. “Hamilton has the tendency that if things do not work out, he turns his whole car upside down and starts experimenting.

“Ferrari believes very much in the big personalities and will follow him. But Hamilton is just someone you have to guide a little bit and not give the freedom to rebuild the whole car, because then it will go completely wrong. So I do not know if it is such a smart move, but of course it is nice for the sport.”

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News of Hamilton’s planned move broke on February 1, coinciding with football’s Transfer Deadline Day. That the back pages of many newspapers were dominated by the decision of Hamilton to swap Mercedes for Ferrari was testament to the magnitude of the announcement.

Sainz was not surprised as he had been informed by his team of the plan ahead of it being made public. But the Spaniard responded well with two victories to date this season and five further appearances on the podium, on the way to what looks likely to be a fifth-placed finish in the championship – two spots and 54 points ahead of Hamilton.

Sainz has signed for Williams next year and, after several years of running at the front of the grid, will focus on his new challenge of helping restore one of the grid’s most historic teams to its former glory. But Knoors believes he should have been kept on by Ferrari instead.

The Dutchman added: “I see Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari more as a PR move. With all due respect, Hamilton is not going to take that Ferrari from P6 to P1. He will get the most out of it, but what Ferrari has to do is make that car faster. And if you make that car faster, you can easily drive at the front with the current line-up.

“Besides, as a team you have to look further on the horizon. If Hamilton becomes champion in the coming years, he and Ferrari will become immortal. But if you want to build a team with talent for the next five years, are you going to build on Hamilton? No, because he will really be finished after two or three years. That is why I would have kept the very strong line-up that Ferrari has now.”

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Listen to Chase Elliott, No. 9 team react to pace car crash at Phoenix in 2024

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Inspiredlovers Screenshot-2024-08-25-at-17-37-19-Disaster-Strikes-Chase-Elliott-at-Daytona-As-Crushing-Result-Leaves-Regular-Season-Title-Hopes-Fading-The-SportsRush Listen to Chase Elliott, No. 9 team react to pace car crash at Phoenix in 2024 Sports

Chase Elliott had a front-row seat for one of NASCAR’s most bizarre moments of the 2024 Cup Series season. At the start of Stage 2, the pace car dove onto pit road in front of Elliott; however, it was a tad too late. The pace car made contact with the sand barrels at the entry of pit road and caused a red flag for cleanup.

Initially, there was some speculation on the NBC Sports broadcast, even from the No. 9 team, that Elliott made contact with the pace car. Fortunately, the pace car didn’t slide across the No. 9 car’s nose, but it undoubtedly provided one of NASCAR’s craziest red flag moments in recent memory.

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Below, you can listen to Elliott and the No. 9 team react to the pace car crashing into the sand barrels on pit road at Phoenix during Championship Weekend!

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Exposes NASCAR’s Hidden Truth: The Pressure Turns Champions Miserable

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Inspiredlovers Dale-Earnhardt-Jr.-Davis-Suppes-WNCT-photo Dale Earnhardt Jr. Exposes NASCAR’s Hidden Truth: The Pressure Turns Champions Miserable Sports

Reflecting on the recent retirement of 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., Earnhardt didn’t mince words about the toll NASCAR takes on its drivers. Speaking candidly, the two-time Daytona 500 winner admitted that the pressure to perform every week left him feeling miserable for most of his racing career—a sentiment he believes is shared by many of his peers.

“Right or wrong, racing made me a miserable person 90% of the time,” Earnhardt confessed. “And him too. I mean, ask Kyle Busch, ask anybody—unless you’re winning, you’re not happy.”

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For these elite drivers, the sport is a relentless grind. A podium finish might bring temporary relief, but anything short of victory is often a source of frustration. The immense effort poured into preparation and execution rarely feels like it pays off unless the checkered flag is theirs.

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Earnhardt highlighted the mental toll of falling short, explaining how the relentless focus on winning can overshadow the joy of simply competing. Even a solid performance feels hollow compared to the euphoria of a win.

“Unless you’re winning, you’re not happy at all,” he said. “You’re okay with a good run, but for the most part, all the effort it takes just to run good—it doesn’t weigh out.”

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For drivers, the stakes are sky-high every week. Sponsors, fans, and teams demand nothing less than excellence, leaving little room for error or personal satisfaction in anything less than a dominant performance.

Earnhardt also shared insights into his friendship with Martin Truex Jr., who recently announced his retirement. While the two often spend time hunting together during NASCAR’s off-season, Earnhardt noted that the stress of racing even creeps into their leisure activities.

“When I’m with him during hunting season, it’s always in the back of his mind,” Earnhardt said. “It’s that stressful part of the year when he’s as miserable as he’s going to be.”

Now, with Truex stepping away from the track, Earnhardt looks forward to seeing a lighter, happier version of his long-time friend. Without the weight of weekly competition hanging over him, Truex might finally be able to relax and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle he cherishes.

“It’ll be fun to see him loosen up,” Earnhardt added.

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