F1: It Will Take Time, Says Raikkonen After Test

Formula 1

F1: It Will Take Time, Says Raikkonen After Test

Kimi Raikkonen glad to be back in Formula One...

Adam Cooper | http://www.speedtv.com | Posted January 23, 2012 Balen (BEL)

Kimi Raikkonen returned to the F1 grid with a two-day test in a 2010 Renault. (Photo: Lotus Formula One)

Kimi Raikkonen successfully completed his first day back behind the wheel of an F1 car at Valencia on Monday.

The intention of the two-day test with a 2010 Renault is for Kimi get used to the F1 environment again, and get to know his team and engineers.

“It’s nice to get back in the car, it’s quite a few years since I’ve driven last time,” he told Sky Sports News. “Of course it takes a little bit of time to get used to it, but the main bits of driving – braking, turning, the normal things – it doesn’t take many laps. But learning about the car, the team and the tires will take time.”

Raikkonen admitted that he never expected to be back in F1.

“I had no plans for the future, I have no plans now for the future. There were different choices for this year, but I really wanted to do racing - I did some NASCAR last year and I really enjoyed competing against people again. It was then that I decided to do some racing again and F1 is the highest level of racing and where people want to be.”

Adam Cooper notched up his 27th season as a racing journalist in 2011. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Follow him on Twitter.

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