Ten years ago, Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen won the World Championship at the Interlagos Circuit in Brazil, the same venue the ten teams will race on this weekend for the penultimate round of the 2017 Formula One Championship season.
While the title fight is over with Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton taking their fourth titles over the course of the last two events, Austin and Mexico, Kimi's memories of his glory day are still fresh in his mind and while Kimie doesn't like to brag about it, a battle at the front of the field this weekend and maybe the victory, would be a good way to celebrate one of his most finest moments.
Kimi, ten years on โ we all remember it very very well from that dramatic day when you won the World Championship here in Brazil, probably the widest smile you've had as a sportsman at least. Can you share some special memories of that day?
It's a long time ago. Obviously it was a great day but it wasn't just about the day, it was the whole year. Obviously it ended on that day but there were some great moments, some not very nice moments but in the end it worked out OK and I was very happy with it but โ I don't know โ I haven't really thought about it too much; obviously after that, yes, but not for a while because it doesn't really change my life today, thinking about it. I don't really try and make a big story out of it.
This year, you've had a very good car and kept developing it very effectively so where does it go from here for Ferrari? You've talked a lot this season about a few fine details here and there which have been the things that have stopped you but tell us a bit about that, where the team goes forward next year and what your personal ambition is in 2018?
Obviously I want to be fighting at the front every weekend, to be able to fight for the championship next year. I think we started pretty badly โ we were not really where we should have been โ a personal feeling on my side โ we're not really happy where the setup was and it took quite a long time to figure it out and then since then it's been better but then we had too many DNFs for many different reasons but I think, as a team, we've come a long way from year to year and also from last year, made a good step, obviously not enough for what we want but as Ferrari we want to win both championships. But I think we had all the tools this year, we just need to tidy up things and not make mistakes nor have issues on any side, not from our side as drivers or from the team side. These are just small things which in the end played a big part this year, who won the championship and which way it went but I think we have all the people, we have the tools and we have a great car. There are still two races to go and even though the championships are done we try to do the same work we always do and try to win races and then, obviously, we start from zero next year so hopefully we will be up there.
Felipe Massa is retiring; you were his teammate for quite a while. What can you say about him? How was your relationship and do you feel like he helped you win your title ten years ago?
He's retiring again, so let's see if it actually happens or we will see him in the first race next year. I always had a good relationship with him, great atmosphere when we were at Ferrari together. We won two championships for the team as teammates and I think it was a great time. Obviously it was very fast, very good but I wish him all the best if he ends up (not) racing in F1 any more. We will see what comes in his life in the future.
There are only two races left this season; what is the summary you can make of your season this year?
I think it's very simple that we are in the championship, that's how good or bad it's been. That's how it is this year and obviously we need to learn and make better things next year but we all start from zero next year and it depends on many things over the winter and over the testing at the beginning of the year. We will then get some idea of where we are going to be and then we see in the first races what will happen, but obviously the aim is to do better, to fight for wins and championships โ that's, as a team, what we want to do and as a driver I want to do that. This year, for sure, in many ways could have been better but I guess it can always be worse also.
