Kimi Raikkonen said he was delighted with Ferrari's new F60 after finally getting chance to test it on a dry track.

The former world champion had been frustrated by rain and sand storms whenever he had previously been scheduled to drive the 2009 car, but on Friday the weather was kind to him at last and he was able to go quickest at Sakhir.

Having struggled to get a set-up that suited him on last year's Ferrari, Raikkonen was pleased that he immediately felt comfortable with the F60's behaviour.

"My first day with the new F60 on a dry track was extremely positive," he said.

"I immediately had a good feeling although it's still too early to say where we are compared to our competitors.

"The car is improving and there are no especially critical areas."

He was also pleased with Ferrari's Kinetic Energy Recovery System – even though it continued to suffer teething troubles during the test.

"I'm happy with how it works, apart from some minor 'childhood disease,'" said Raikkonen.

Ferrari, Toyota and BMW had all travelled to Bahrain expecting better weather than their rivals would find at the Spanish test circuits, so the teams were frustrated when the sand storms halted them for much of the week while the rest of the field enjoyed sunshine at Jerez.

But Raikkonen wasn't too concerned about the lost mileage.

"The track was very slippery, due to the sand, but we managed to go ahead with our programme," he said.

"It's a pity about the time we lost over the last days, but it didn't depend on us.

"This happens and you just have to accept it."

source[www.itv-f1.com]

 

Holy crazy wing mirrors.

 

hahaha I just noticed those but they probably are more practical than last year's

 

What about the crazy periscope, uh, I mean, TV camera?

I hope Raikkonen does well this season. He is my favorite F1 guy since Schumi left.

 

You're weird. I guess I just don't understand the draw of Raikkonen. He's such a boring guy and completely devoid of any emotion. It gets old, imo.

 

Exactly my opinion too. I think Massa is a much more personable driver who drives with emotion and soul. Kimi just seems so cold and tries to act like he doesn't give a shit. Hopefully it will be Massa's season to win it all this year.

 

The Ferrari is probably the best looking out of all the competitors this year.

 

Thanks for the weird comment... Hmm...

Anyway, I like Raikkonen because he speaks his mind. If the track is crap, during the press conference he says the track is crap. It's refreshing to hear something other than the "Bernie-approved" jibberish. I don't watch F1 because I think the drivers are cool (I thought that was NASCAR's appeal, btw). I watch because I like the technology, I like the spectacle on track, I like the sights/sounds, etc. I like the fact that Raikkonen is usually the fastest guy on track (though it does annoy me when he refuses to put out 100%). Hamilton is fun to watch, too, for his pace and consistency, but he is like a "Spice Boy" when it comes to his image management. I'd like Hamilton a lot more if he spoke his mind freely... Oh how I miss good ol' Eddie Irvine.

 

Sorry Chris, I forgot to add the smiley after calling you weird. I was just joking around. I totally agree with you that Kimi speaks his mind when given the chance. It's just boring to watch him speak because he's so monotone most of the time. He is a FANTASTIC driver though (just not quite fast enough to beat Hamilton!!! )!

 

I must say I surprised with using the word "thrilled" with Kimi in the same sentence. Heckuva a driver...has a great future on International Celebrity Poker....