2007 F1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen drops his strongest hint yet that the 'sabbatical' he initially planned on taking in order to join the World Rally Championship (WRC) with Citroën in 2010 might turn into a permanent switch

Kimi Raikkonen has expressed his conviction that he could breeze back into F1 should he so desire, but as he prepares for his maiden full campaign in the World Rally Championship in 2010, the Finn has dropped his strongest hint yet that he will never be back – and admits that a WRC title would mean 'more' to him than his 2007 drivers' crown in the top flight.

After being evicted by Ferrari to make way for the incoming Fernando Alonso a year before his contract was due to expire, and subsequently failing to reach agreement with former team McLaren-Mercedes on financial matters, Raikkonen turned his attentions to his other main love of rallying, and swiftly concluded a deal with the Citroën Junior Team to join Sébastien Ogier in a Red Bull-backed C4 WRC identical to that of multiple world champion Sébastien Loeb.

Though he has been linked with a return to the grand prix grid in 2011 – possibly with Red Bull Racing, in-place of either Sebastian Vettel or Mark Webber – the Finn has revealed that with off-track politics continuing to prevail over on-track action, he has little real interest in coming back.

“Perhaps for fun I'll go to the Monaco Grand Prix,” he told the Red Bulletin's German website. “As it looks now, I would get another F1 cockpit – but do I want it? A lot of unpleasant things are happening in Formula 1, with one manufacturer leaving after the other or selling their teams.

“In F1, too many things overshadow the racing. There are too many politics, and no-one is willing to say what they think in public, because they are afraid it will be taken out of context. In a year, we'll talk again, but I'm glad I don't have to worry about it at the moment.”

Confessing that F1 had 'become a routine' over the nine years during which he featured as one of its leading lights – with 18 grand prix victories and 62 podium finishes to his name from 156 starts for Sauber, McLaren and Ferrari – Raikkonen is now palpably rejuvenated, with the fire inside him having been re-lit by his new challenge.

Admitting to feeling like he did back when he made his debut at the highest level as a fresh-faced 20-year-old newcomer in early 2001, he added that winning the World Rally Championship would mean 'more than my F1 World Championship title'. He begins his assault on the WRC on the Rally of Sweden on 12 February.

“I'm just starting out and I can sense what a long journey it would be to get to that point,” recognised the Espoo native. “It's definitely the biggest challenge yet – I've got to learn everything from scratch – but I want the challenge. I have to get to know the car, the rallies, how to work with my co-driver, everything.

“I'm looking forward to it, and you've got to set yourself some competition if you really want to know how good you are. The first few rallies are bound to be tough, until I know how fast the other drivers are, and I'm holding back on any personal expectations – I'm sure I won't manage to keep up with the top four (Loeb, Mikko Hirvonen, Dani Sordo and Jari-Matti Latvala).

“The atmosphere in rallying is much nicer – it's more about the performance of the drivers. In F1, each lap is more-or-less the same. When it rains it becomes more difficult, but otherwise it soon becomes a routine. In rallying, every corner or hill might be different from what you expected – that makes it interesting. There is a little bit of the young Kimi in me again; I'm curious and excited.”

Source: crash.net

Most people would be content with owning a car as exclusive as the Ferrari Enzo. Only 399 were ever made, and more than a few of those have been wrecked, dragging down the number of Enzos on the road. Some people, however, are unhappy with “all those Enzos” running around the streets and feel the need to have a one-off version created.



Mustafa and Ilyas Galadari of Dubai commissioned German Porsche tuner Gemballa to create a very limited edition Enzo called the MIG-UI.

Not much information on the Enzo MIG-UI has been released, but from the pictures it’s easy to see that there isn’t much on the car that hasn’t been touched. The entire body has been completely reworked from front to rear, improving aerodynamics and giving the Enzo a certain race car/spaceship-like appearance. From the side (see below,) I see a bit of the Maserati MC-12 in there. The rear features a huge wing to increase downforce, and a large roof scoop feeds air to the engine.



The interior is quite a different story. Finished in red and black theme, the seats and trim are covered in a quilted red leather and it resembles a luxury car more than a 200+ MPH supercar. That’s alright with me, I suppose that’s what Dubai is all about.

Nothing is known regarding the mechanical changes, but based on what we’ve seen on other Gemballa projects, the Enzo MIG-UI will have some serious power. As if the Enzo wasn’t fast enough.



Stay tuned for more details on the MIG-UI as it’s released.

Source: automoblog.net

Blenheim, Ontario – A 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Alloy Berlinetta and a 1958 Tojerio Jaguar Sports racing car, one of only four built, will be presented by RM Auctions at its annual Automobiles of Amelia Island event in Florida in March.

In total, some 100 vehicles are expected to be offered at the March 13 auction, RM’s twelfth annual event at Amelia Island, which will be held prior to the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance show.

“Over the past eleven years, RM has established a proven track record of strong performance at Amelia Island, selling over 25 million-dollar-plus vehicles as well as setting numerous new records,” said Ian Kelleher, RM president and COO. “A popular and established event on our annual calendar, we look forward to returning to Amelia Island’s prestigious Ritz-Carlton Hotel in March to build on our past results and celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.”

Featuring coachwork by Scaglietti, the rare Ferrari was displayed at the 1967 New York Auto Show before being sold. It has recently been restored by its current, long-term owner, and is optioned with such items as air conditioning, power windows and Borrani wire wheels.

Other early Ferrari consignments include a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Berlinetta and a low-mileage 1971 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider once owned by Edsel Ford II.

The 1958 Jaguar was the third of four examples designed by engineer and racing car designer John Tojerio. It was raced for several years at Ecosse, and is offered for sale for the first time in 17 years.

Other early entries include a 1964 Pontiac Banshee coupe, one of only two drivable prototypes, and a correctly-restored 1963 Watson-Offy “Leader Card 500″ Indy Roadster, driven during the 1963-1966 USAC seasons.

Source: canadiandriver.com