Force India driver Adrian Sutil
holds no grudges against his bogeyman Kimi Raikkonen and is
confident that the Finn, after leaving Formula One for World
Rally Championship.
|Last Updated: Jan 08, 2010, 10:58 PM IST|Source: Bureau
New Delhi: Force India driver Adrian Sutil
holds no grudges against his bogeyman Kimi Raikkonen and is
confident that the Finn, after leaving Formula One for World
Rally Championship, would do well in his new venture.
"He`s a great driver but somehow I always met him mostly
when I was running in the front and racing really well. We had
a few contacts, a coincidence probably," Sutil said during his
interaction with PTI journalists here.
"Coincidence or not, it was always great to race with
him. He is a hard fighter and you need drivers like him. I
also needed competitor like him because I wanted to test
myself against the toughest. I`m proud of our duels but of
course there could have been better ending for us," said the
German.
Sutil was on the verge of breaking Force India`s points
duck in Monaco 2008. Running a fairytale race as high as
fourth with just six laps to go, Sutil could only watch
haplessly as Raikkonen lost control of his car and rammed his
Ferrari into Sutil`s vehicle, ending the German`s race then
and there.
The accident left Sutil in tears and even though
Raikkonen did apologise subsequently, it was hardly a solace
for the youngster.
"Oh yes, the pain of Monaco stayed with me for quite a
while," Sutil recalled. "Even now when I think about the race,
I sometimes feel `Why?`.
"But you cannot do anything about it. The track was
indeed treacherous. It was half-wet, half-dry. It can happen
with anyone. It happened to me in Shanghai last year when I
was sixth with six laps to go when I aquaplaned," Sutil
explained.
In last year`s German Grand Prix too, Sutil qualified
seventh and was running second before his first pit-stop when
Raikkonen once again emerged as the villain of the piece.
Just as Sutil was coming out of the pit lane, Raikkonen`s
car collided with his VJM02, costing him the front wing and
effectively Formula One points.
In the Italian Grand Prix, the order was reversed with
Raikkonen in front and the Finn blocked Sutil`s faster car
even though it was good enough for a fourth place finish for
the Force India driver.
"He got in front of me in Monza and would not allow me to
go past. For half an hour, he kept blocking me," Sutil said.
For Raikkonen, the 2007 driver`s champion, nothing went
right last year and did not seem in best of terms with the
Ferrari management.
Even though the Finn, monikered `Iceman` for his
unflappable exterior, had an offer from Toyota, Raikkonen
subsequently announced joining World Rally Championship for
the Citroen Junior Team in 2010.
Sutil wished him well and said Raikkonen would prove a
success there too.
"Probably he didn`t enjoy F1 much last year and that`s
why he is in rallying now. I wish him well and I know he will
do well there," Sutil said.
PTI
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