EXCLUSIVE - Kimi Raikkonen

Shell and the world's greatest drivers

Kimi Raikkonen is one of the most naturally talented drivers ever to sit in a Formula One car. In winning the World Championship last year after replacing Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, he fulfilled the promise that was first seen in a handful of lower formulae races before he was sensationally catapulted into the rarified atmosphere of Grand Prix racing with Sauber in 2001. Nicknamed Iceman, outwardly Kimi is a very quiet, apparently unemotional person but is possibly Formula One's most fun-loving character away from his job. This is the man who enters snowmobile races under the name J Hunt during the off-season, just for fun, has hardcore chopper bikes built in his honour and last year competed with friends in a Finnish powerboat race, dressed in a gorilla suit. There's more to this guy than you might know...

Kimi Raikkonen

Top Gear: How old were you when you first became interested in cars and racing?

Kimi Raikkonen: From when I was very young, I was interested in anything with an engine. If I hadn’t become a driver, I would certainly have been a mechanic.

TG: Growing up, which drivers do you remember watching or being a fan of?

KR: I never had a hero or an idol although my friends tell me I should have raced in the Seventies when F1 was less formal. I would definitely liked to have known James Hunt.

TG: When did you think you might be pretty good yourself?

KR: That’s not for me to say. I always wanted to be a racing driver and I gave it everything I had to do that. From then on, it’s results that speak loudest.

TG: Wouldn’t it make sense if testing were banned? It would be less expensive for all the teams and you could do more snowmobiling

KR: No. I would be asked to spend more time on the simulator! Joking aside, I think the current situation is pretty well balanced. We don’t test as much as we used to and we do work more efficiently.

TG: What do you personally find most useful about testing?

KR: I just love driving a Formula 1 car, which means I even enjoy testing.

TG: How aware are you of the real importance of fuel and oil to your success?

KR: In Formula 1 the difference between winning and not winning can be measured in tenths of a second so you have to push the limits of car development in all areas. Currently, some aspects of engine development are frozen for a few years which means the extra horsepower we can get from fuel and engine oil is critical.

TG: Can you pick one Grand Prix win as your most satisfying to date?

KR: It’s hard to say, because all wins are great. The first victory is special, of course, and winning at Interlagos last year, to become world champion, will always stay with me.

TG: Why did you choose to leave McLaren for Ferrari?

KR: Simply the desire for a change after so many years with the same team. I felt comfortable at McLaren, just as I now feel comfortable at Ferrari. The two teams are very different because each has a different character, but both share a common desire to get the best results.

TG: Is Ferrari simply the team you now race for or do you also have a sense of the immense history of the team?

KR: There is definitely a special atmosphere at Maranello and you do feel the special appeal of a team that is so much a part of racing history. It’s nice and I am proud to be a part of this history.

TG: Do you think race fans really understand how much a driver does during a Grand Prix? Can you talk us through some of the things you might deal with while racing flat out?

KR: No, I don’t think they do because it is difficult to understand the detail of what happens from the outside. First and foremost, so much work is done with the engineers while the car is in the garage: setting it up; the schedule of work for the day; strategy; and so on. And when you are racing there are so many different things you can alter on the car: brake balance; some engine and electrical parameters; the gearbox, for example. And unexpected situations that occur during a race, like the arrival of the safety car to complicate matters, or specific moments when you must go through complex technical programmes, such as at the start. There has actually been less to do this year because every team now runs with a standardised electronic control unit but next year, things change again: we will be able to electronically control flaps on the front wing, for example, and everyone will be running an energy recovery system – boost switches linked to energy accumulated through the KERS system.

TG: What makes a great driver?

KR: In the end what matters is results, but one has to remember that in modern Formula 1, the car is the dominant factor. Without a competitive car, you can’t win, no matter how talented you are.

TG: What’s the best thing about your job?

KR: Driving and racing to win, nothing else.

TG: And the worst?

KR: Speaking in public! Honestly, it’s just not a strong point of mine but I know it’s part of my job and I accept it as such.

How you can win with V-Factor 2008

If you make it into the top 20 after 3 testing quiz rounds, you will be one of the lucky - and talented - finalists who go forward to the V-Factor Driving Challenge, the first part of which will be held on the morning of Friday 14th November at Daytona Raceway in Milton Keynes. Make it into the top three of that event and you'll have secured a place in the V-Factor 2008 grand final later that day at MPH 08, Top Gear Live at Birmingham NEC.

But there are still plenty of fabulous prizes to be won with V-Factor 2008. This month there is a chance for you and a guest to fly to the legendary home of Ferrari in Maranello, Italy, with a pair of runners prizes of Ferrari caps, signed by 2008 World Championship contender, Felippe Massa.

First prize / a trip for two to Maranello

A visit to the Ferrari factory at Maranello in northern Italy must be one of the most desirable days out you could think of. This is the place where every stunning Ferrari road and race car has been created since its eponymous founder, Enzo Ferrari, began Ferrari S.p.A in 1947 and where the team is still based today. Almost opposite the factory gates you will find the celebrated 'Il Cavallino' restaurant where Enzo himself ate almost every day, with Ferrari's private test track just a few metres up the road in the other direction. This incredible prize includes: return economy class flights for two from your nearest airport to Bologna; airport transfers; one night's accommodation in a four star hotel and all meals while in Italy*.

* UK airport transfers and travel insurance are not included. Additional expenses not outlined above are to be paid by the winner. 2009 factory tour dates will be available in early 2009 and will be made known to the winner for an agreed tour date subject to Ferrari availability.

Runners-up prizes / two signed Ferrari caps