Raikkonen answers your questions

Time, it's said, passes very quickly for those who wait. Not so for those waiting to secure an interview slot with either of Ferrari's world champion drivers, since those opportunities present themselves only rarely - and when they do, the window creaks open but fleetingly. Thus F1 Racing arrives for our brief encounter with Kimi Raikkonen armed with a wad of question cards, but mindful of Shakespeare's rumination on time's fickleness:

Time is like a fashionable host/That slightly shakes his parting guest by the hand/And with his arm outstretch'd, as he would fly/Grasps in the comer.

With lunch beckoning, a deadline that is inviolate in Ferrari's unreconstructedly Italian world, will we be able to ask all our questions? Or will our legendarily reticent interviewee motor his way flat-out through the whole stack in a torrent of monosyllables?

When Kimi claps eyes upon the question cards set before him, the auguries are not good, for his immediate reaction is "How many!?" and his initial responses are... terse. But, as you'll soon discover, the Iceman warms to the line of enquiry and in some responses is almost effusive. There's a touch of sarcasm to enjoy too.

In even better news, the lunch bell clangs without our interview coming to a ragged and inconsequential termination. Kimi is enjoying himself enough to declare that his midday repast can wait...

What was the first car you drove?
Kamil Zlotkowski, Poland

A Lada.

F1R: Was it fast?

KR: It was okay... [smiles]

Do you think you will ever return to the World Rally Championship?
Kerry Millward, UK

Maybe some races. For fun. I hope so anyway.

Would you consider racing in the Indy 500?
William Jonson-Smith, UK

Probably not any more. It's a nice race and, yes, some years back I would have, but not now.

[See what we mean? Not messing about, is he?]

You own an MXGP [Motocross World Championship] team... how often do you practice MX yourself?
Sebastian Hoehne, Germany

As often as I can, but obviously I'm a bit too busy. I'd like to do more later in life, but at the moment living in Switzerland is not the easiest place to practice. In the summer break there is more time as in the winter the weather can be a bit changeable.

What's your favourite song to sing on karaoke?
Matt Croucher, UK

I haven't sung for a long time, for a number of years now. But it would be some Finnish song.

F1R: We understand that you're actually planning on opening a karaoke bar in Helsinki?

KR: No comment. [smiles]

Who was your hero growing up? James Hunt?
Samuel McCarthy, UK

I didn't really have a hero, but I did find out about James for the first time, maybe when I was eight or nine. Then there were Finns racing, [Keke] Rosberg, and then after that the two Mikas [Hakkinen & Salo] and JJ [Lehto] - so I was hoping they would do well, but I never really had a hero as such.

It's ten years since you won the title, what do you remember of winning?
Rob McAlees, UK

It's a long time ago. Obviously it was a great day but it wasn't just about the day, it was the whole year. There were some great moments, some not very nice moments, but in the end it worked out okay and I was very happy with it. But - I don't know - I haven't really thought about it too much. It doesn't really change my life today, thinking about it.

What is your favourite drink?
Jose Roberto, Teijeiro, Brazil

I drink water a lot [He says deadpan]. If you need to pick out one. Beer is a different story, as is milk or other stuff.

F1R: We had an email this morning about you endorsing Hartwall's Original Long Drink... [which, incidentally, is a refreshing mix of Finnish premium gin and grapefruit soda]

KR: Yup, it's good. But my favourite is what you drink of the most, which is water.

F1R: [We can play this game too...] Sparkling or still?

KR: More still lately, but I like sparking as well...

[1-0 to Kimi]

In terms of physical stress, between WRC and F1, which is the most demanding?
Maurizio Sicco, Italy

They are two completely different categories. As a purely physical thing, you have to say F1, but the other side of rallying is hard because of the amount of time driving. You are doing a full week of recceing and it can be more than 12 hours a day in a car with the notes, checking them.

You spend so long sitting down in the car during the build-up and also in the rally - that's quite tiring. Also, thinking and making notes, that's much more tiring than I would have expected. Plus it can be early morning or late evenings - you don't sleep at lot. They always say sleep as much as you need, but that's hard in rallying.

What are your thoughts on last season?
Steve Bates, Ireland

It was not enough for what we want, but as Ferrari we want to win both championships. We just need to tidy up things and not make mistakes, nor have issues on any side, not from our side as drivers or from the team side. These are just small things, which in the end played a big part last year on who won the championship and which way it went.

Would you be interested in doing the World Rallycross Championship when you are done with F1?
Glen Sweeting, UK

Yeah, I haven't had time to drive the car yet but I've been offered it on a few occasions. It looks fun, they are similar cars to rally cars but they have more power and I think it would be very nice to try one at least.

What made you want to become an F1 driver?
Kirsty Burns, UK

I don't think there was one thing. I was interested in racing and anything to do with engines. In the end I never thought I would make F1 as we never had money, but then luckily I got good people behind me with Dave and Steve Robertson. And they made it possible because without them, there was no chance.

I was always thinking I'd do go-karts for years and years and get a little bit of money out of it, but I didn't have the budget to drive racing cars. Luckily friends and family helped, I did Formula Renault - and with a bit of talent, a year later I was in F1.

Is Seb Vettel a good friend outside of racing?
Breffni McCarthy, Ireland

Yes, I know him quite well from the past, we used to live close to each other and we used to play some sports together outside of the racing. We fly together and work closely together at races.

You face questions from the press quite frequently. From what country do you get the most stupid questions?
Marty Ellison, USA

[Laughs] All of them are on an even level... all the same.

Who has been your fastest team-mate?
Matt Lloyd, UK

That is very difficult to say because it's hard to compare team-mates. I've had some very good team-mates in my career, some very fast ones, but I don't think you can put them in order - everyone is different.

What are your ambitions for the new season?
Ryan Bell, USA

Obviously I want to be fighting at the front every weekend, to be able to fight for the championship in 2018. I think we started pretty badly in 2017 - a personal feeling on my side - we're not really happy where the setup was and it took quite a long time to figure it out. Since then it's been better but then we had too many DNFs for many different reasons. But I think, as a team, we've come a long way from year to year.