Thursday 26th January 2012

Raikkonen happy with return progress

Raikkonen happy with return progress

Kimi Raikkonen feels "very positive" after two days re-acclimatising to Formula One in Valencia this week.

After two years away from F1, with Raikkonen primarily competing in the World Rally Championship, the Finn is poised to make a return with Lotus this year.

But as Raikkonen had not driven an F1 car since quitting the sport at the end of the 2009 season, the team decided it would be in his best interests to get some running under his belt.

That saw 2007 world champion Raikkonen run in a two-year-old car and on Pirelli demonstration tyres at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit.

With the first pre-season test in Jerez a fortnight away, the 32- year-old has no doubts he is back up to speed after completing 171 laps and 666 kilometres overall.

"Overall the two days have been helped me a lot," said Raikkonen.

"Even though I was using a two year-old car and the demonstration tyres, I learnt about working with the team and engineers which means I can focus on the new car once we get to Jerez for the first official test.

"It was great to be driving an F1 car again, and from that respect I feel very positive."

Lotus' trackside operations engineer Alan Permane claimed the two days with Raikkonen proved to be "productive and valuable".


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