MOTORSPORT: Raikkonen backs Lotus for success (From Witney Gazette)

MOTORSPORT: Raikkonen backs Lotus for success

9:50am Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Sport

Kimi Raikkonen has backed his new Enstone-based Lotus team to deliver a strong car in 2012 and make his return to Formula 1 a successful one.

The Finn, who won the 2007 world title with Ferrari, is back in the sport after two years competing with limited success in the World Rally Championship.

His return means there will be six world champions on the starting grid at the first race of the season in Melbourne on March 18, but the strength of the opposition is not about to thaw Raikkonen’s famously ice-cool temperament.

Lotus – who competed as Renault last season – unveiled their 2012 car, the E20, via an online broadcast on Sunday, and Raikkonen expects the new challenger to offer him the chance to add to his 18 grand prix wins.

“The people here know how to build a good car and of course even the biggest teams cannot produce every year,” he said.

“They are very capable so hopefully we can get good results.”

The E20 will be given a demonstration run at Jerez later today before the first test of the year begins in earnest at the Spanish circuit tomorrow, and Raikkonen – whose only running for Lotus came at the wheel of a 2010-spec car last month – insists he is looking forward to the challenge ahead.

“It will be something slightly different than it used to be, with a different team and different regulations,” he said.

“But I was pretty happy after the first test we did a few weeks ago, it felt pretty normal already so I think it will be okay. I’m happy so far.”

Raikkonen is not the only new face at Lotus after the team elected to dispose of both Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna at the end of last season.

The squad have instead opted to pair Raikkonen with young Fren-chman Romain Grosjean, who is the reigning GP2 champion.