Citroen racing boss Olivier Quesnel has praised the efforts of his latest driver signing, Kimi Raikkonen, on Rally Sweden, but has warned the WRC community not to expect too much too soon.
Raikkonen, the 2007 Formula One world champion, completed his first ever World Rally Championship event at the weekend, reaching the finish in 30th place, 37 minutes behind the leaders, in his Citroen C4 WRC.
He set stage times within the top 10 overall on what was only his sixth-ever rally, including a sixth-fastest time on Saturday. Had he not driven his car into a snow bank on the opening day, he would have finished comfortably within the top 10 and scored points on his debut.
Quesnel believes it was a performance which was in line with expectations. "We cannot ask too much of Kimi at this stage," he said. "Sweden I think is the most difficult rally to start with, and everybody is looking at him and waiting for - I don’t know what - but he couldn’t give more than he has. Kimi did not do a bad job here. He told me he made too many mistakes but it’s obvious he has to make mistakes - he’s learning!"
"All of us have to be patient - and that includes the media. Kimi will be okay by the end of the year. It will be a long way to success but I’m sure he’s determined and I know for sure that he wants to succeed. We need to give him the time."