Blog: Kimi Raikkonen Has “fallen in love” With F1 Again After Ferrari Debut Season
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Oct 30, 2007
Ferrari
In dramatic circumstances the Finn fought back from a seven-point deficit at the start of the season finale in Brazil to win the race and the World title by one point.
The 28-year-old then made his way back to Italy for a week of celebrations that ended on Sunday when he returned to Finland with his wife Jenni.
And although Ferrari will return to testing in mid-November, Raikkonen won’t be present as he’s planning on taking a few extra weeks off away from F1. Planet-F1.co
World champion Kimi Raikkonen says he has “fallen in love” with Formula 1 again during his hugely successful first season at Ferrari and says he heads into his holidays already looking forward to 2008.
The Finn celebrated his and the team’s title successes at the Italian squad’s annual end-of-season event at Mugello last weekend, with the tifosi given its first chance to hail its latest title-winning driver.
Raikkonen has been open in admitting he has felt more relaxed since joining Ferrari at the start of the season after five years at McLaren.
And while he is now keen to switch off from F1 for a while after a hectic year of racing and testing – he admits that will be more difficult than normal after such an enjoyable season.
“I’ll try to chill out as much as I can and charge up my batteries,” he said of his holiday plans after flying back to Finland to celebrate his success with friends. ITV-F1.com
“These were joyful days with many celebrations. It seems I can’t stop smiling, “ said Kimi. “Wherever I go there are people who congratulate me. It seems that everybody in Italy is as happy as I am! Wednesday in Maranello was wonderful, when we celebrated the wins of the two Championships with everybody from the Scuderia. But I have to say that yesterday in Mugello was even better. In front of thousands of fans and numerous Ferrari clients. “
“When I was going to the race track in Tuscany I remembered the first time I drove a race car, back when I was driving in the Formula Renault and then my first race in Formula One with Peter Sauber. I remember these feelings, but it is really something else driving the car, with which I just won the Championship, here at Mugello: it was like a second triumph. I was really happy and very proud being part of the Ferrari family when I saw all the fans celebrating. Thank you all so much, with all my heart! “
“There was a great surprise waiting for me after the celebrations at Mugello. I should have gone back to Switzerland but Jenni and my friends had planned something else. We went to Helsinki and celebrated the win with people who have always been close to me. This was a great way of coming back home for the first time as a World Champion. Now I’m on holiday. I’ll try to chill out as much as I can and charge up my batteries. I drove almost every week during the last season and now is the time to think of something else than four wheels.
It will be a new challenge, even more exciting, because I want to feel this joy again, one more time! “ FosaGold.org
