The F1 newswire – Monday 23 January

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The F1 newswire – Monday 23 January

All the news the teams see fit to print, in one handy digest produced every 24 hours.

The big story of the day was Kimi Raikkonen’s return to the track in an F1 cark, courtesy of LOTUS. In other news, tickets for the AUSTIN GRAND PRIX are on a pre-sale sort of thing.

“Lotus F1 Team driver Kimi Raïkkönen has been back behind the wheel of the team’s 2010 R30 this morning at the Circuito Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain,” the LOTUS release confirmed. “The Finnish driver, who is making his comeback to Formula 1 in 2012, is benefitting from a two-day driving session in Spain. The aim of this running is for Kimi to drive as many laps as possible in order to get acquainted with the team and to reacclimatise himself with an F1 car. ‘It was a good first day!,’ Raikkonen said. ‘Having not driven a Formula 1 car for two years and obviously with a new team, there is a lot to get used to. I’m happy because I was pretty quick to get back in the groove. Obviously you get more into the zone with the more laps you complete, as you discover more about the car and the tyres. Knowing when to turn, brake, and when to get on the power didn’t take long at all. The good thing is that running today gives me something to compare the new car to, so I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully we’ll be fast straight away and it’s going to be an interesting season.’ Eric Boullier, team principal and managing director said: ‘I must say today was very positive. You can see that the whole team is pleased with Kimi’s feedback, and Kimi himself seemed very happy to be back behind the wheel. He got the feel of the car very quickly and it’s good to see him building a strong relationship with the team. Obviously, the R30 is different to the new car, but he is clearly excited to get started at the first test in Jerez. Our team is made up of true racing people, and Kimi fits into that very well.’ Alan Permane, trackside operations engineer said: ‘The day went pretty much as we planned, which is great. Kimi was on the pace we expected straight away. He completed around 300km, going through three sets of tyres. It leaves us with four sets for tomorrow, meaning we can run a bit longer. We worked on getting him comfortable in the car, giving him a feel for the setup changes, and helping him get to know his engineers. It’s always great to work with a top driver who is not just quick, but professional, and Kimi has all of those characteristics. His feedback is excellent, his requests are concise and to the point. We’re looking forward to a good season with him.’”

If you’re planning on visiting the Austin Grand Prix and can’t wait to buy your tickets, you can now pay for the right to choose your seat by joining the select seating wait list. “CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS has opened its ticketing process by launching its Select Seating Wait List for events at the track beginning with the 2012 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix to be held November 16-18,” the press release explains. “The select seating wait list is the first of two ticketing stages designed to help fans purchase seats. ‘We are receiving great interest in tickets every day from fans around the world, said Geoff Moore, chief marketing and sales officer for Circuit of The Americas. ‘In order to effectively manage the demand, we have created a two-stage ticketing process to help fans better understand the opportunities available. We want every fan to get the ticket that is right and affordable for them. In this first stage, we are showing off the incredible entertainment experience our main grandstand offers.’ In this stage of ticketing, obtaining a personal seat license is the first step. Beginning Monday January 23, 2012 and extending through Monday February 13, 2012, fans may join the Select Seating Wait List to be first in line to purchase a personal seat license, which will go on sale March 1, 2012. Personal seat licenses will range in price from $1,000 to $5,000 per seat payable in two installments if desired, depending on proximity to the start/finish line and amenities. A personal seat license entitles its holder to purchase tickets for all racing events at Circuit of The Americas for the next 15 years. The license also gives its holder a priority position to purchase tickets for entertainment events held at Circuit of The Americas for the duration of the license.”

Check back here tomorrow for the latest news direct from the teams. Kate Walker