Hallam's Journal

Remember that time when I got called a "genius" by Finnish footballer Mikael Forssell?

No?

It was just about five minutes ago.

*basks*

OK, seems I may have spoke too soon about the F1 driver market. Räikkönen to McLaren is not the done deal that I had thought. On Sunday, team boss Martin Whitmarsh gave an interview that backed away from the rumours that he'd almost confirmed the previous week.

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I think it is worth underlining just how excited I am about Kimi Räikkönen's participation in this weekend's Rally Finland. Through the trees and over the jumps, with one of the world's best codrivers (Kaj Lindstrom) shouting at him the whole way through. Kaj is very impressed with Kimi's skills, and thinks they could do quite well. I think we'll have to wait and see how he does with the jumps and blind crests. There are a hell of a lot of them, and the drivers have to get them all right - get the line and speed spot on and be on the gas at the exact right moment or they'll end up in the ditch, up a tree, or with broken suspension.

Here is a photo of his Kiminess with Dave TV presenter (and general good egg) Neil Cole, post interview this morning. Interview will be on the WRC programme on Dave at 6 this Sunday.

Kimi is well up for it and I think it's looking more and more like he will come right over to the rally side. I bet Heikki is sulking awfully about the fact that Kimi is allowed to go rallying and he isn't.

In other Rally Finland news, Jari-Matti Latvala has promised to try very hard to be good. Or, on second reading, has said that he thinks he may be capable of being good. Which isn't the same thing. Quite sweet that he was surprised to be allowed to keep his job. I wonder, would someone less sweet-natured and adorable have gotten the boot? Seriously, it may have been a factor (I doubt the claims that he pays to drive. I do think that not wanting to lose him to another team was a factor in Papa Wilson's decision to keep him on for next year, though).

I shall be following the rally and the Edgbaston test throughout the weekend, with one browser window for wrc.com and one for cricinfo.com. Shame Birmingham is underwater today, so no play possible (thus far, but I bloody doubt the pitch will dry out by five-ish or whenever). It'll probably be a draw, but who knows.

EDITED TO ADD LINK TO SHORT Q&A ON wrc.com and also to say, well, play is going to start at Edgbaston at five after all. We have to try to take advantage of any chink in the Australian armour, and we must absolutely not be tempted into any kind of overconfidence. It'll still be a bloody draw, though.

Ford world rally team principal Malcolm Wilson has said he would definitely give Kimi Räikkönen a test drive, as and when Kimi decides to give up Formula One and have a go at rallying.

Sébastien Loeb also thinks that the idea of Kimi in a rally car is a truly excellent one (same article). Like I said, nobody with Kimi's level of talent in a car is going to be rubbish; he would just need to get used to gravel and get used to driving from pacenotes (and making them in the first place). As long as he has an experienced codriver to start off with, he'll get used to it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, obviously this means very little - it only comes from the interview Kimi did a couple of weeks back with that German magazine, and now he's on the record as fancying a go at rallying, it's no-brains journalism just to ask a few rally team bosses (especially the boss of the team with a record of employing Finns) if they'd give him the time of day. And really, Malcolm Wilson is hardly likely to say he wouldn't give him the time of day. But still! It could happen!

So, according to a German interview I just looked at, Kimi Räikkönen is thinking about maybe going into rally driving after finishing in F1 (which could be as early as after next season).

This would, in my opinion, be BLOODY EXCELLENT.

Kimi! Come over to the rally side! Have a go on the gravel!

Even if he never gets to be top standard on the loose surfaces, even if he only does some Finnish national events and the odd run in PWRC, nobody with that level of racing talent is going to be rubbish. Ahh, I am stupidly excited by this prospect.

1. The world's premier radio sidekick, David Kuo, being in the studio with Danny Baker this week.
2. Finding a pair of shoes you forgot you had.
3. Dedicated Japanese fangirls who put a *handwritten* interview with Heikki Kovalainen on their website. From now on, all interviews must be handwritten. That's a decree that you can take to the copy shop.
4. Figuring out a little strategy to make a long and tedious job slightly easier.
5. Halloumi cheese cooked with onion and courgette and a few tomatoes.

You know what is a nice feeling? When you warm to a person or thing that you had previously been cold or antipathic towards.

Things I have warmed towards recently (like, in the last year or week or day or something)

1. Russell Brand. Couldn't stand him at one time, mainly because I was of the opinion that his schtick was entirely taken from Round The Horne. Oh yes, you know the polari, well done you, you big twat, etc. Anyhow, I warmed to the Brand over a period of time, taking the time to note that he did not lean on the Julian and Sandy bit as much as I had thought, and being genuinely won over by the man's enthusiasm for honesty. Enthusiasm goes a long way.

2. Kimi Räikkönen. Used to actually dislike the man. Recently I have thawed. My partner put it well - he said "you can't really like or dislike Kimi. He's just... there like some sort of geological feature". Also, nobody THAT Finnish can be in my bad books. I was at a complete loss as to what the hardline Kimi fangirls saw in the chap, though. Pretty? I think not, I'm sorry to say. On reflection, I think that the construction of a particular mythic swashbuckling masculinity has something to do with it. Given the way this image of masculinity is constructed, the following inductive argument is possible - someone who drives like his hair is on fire and drinks like a fish must therefore also bang like a shithouse door in the wind. Not necessarily my own opinion, just throwing it out there for the analysis and the ever-tender lulz.

3. The posh woman who is doing the "Cook's Journey Through Spain". I think I was flat out prejudiced towards her because of her accent. HOW SHITTY IS THAT? Srlsy, I deserve a little flagellation for this. Once again, it's the woman's enthusiasm that won me over. And I bloody love Spanish food. She's on right now, on Channel Four.

There are probably more things I've warmed towards. I might add them if I think of them.