How do you say "YeeHaw" in Italian?

Well actually it doesn't matter because in this video we are in the UK and the car is driven by a Dane. Still, the cars are FIAT Abarth Trofeo and they seem behave just like the classic 60's Cinquecento derived racers did back then: more often than not with something less than four wheels on the ground.

Momentum cars, got to love them!.



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Kimi Räikkönen in action at Rally Finland

We'll need some Finnish translation help... but it looks like he's keeping his Abarth on the road...mostly, he does miss a turn, In the second video, after the jump you can see another view of his "I said right, not left" moment.

Raikkonen Testing for Rally Finland, Video.

While the motoring world is, as was predictable, obsessing over Massa's replacement, the Kimster is in the Finnish forest testing with Tommi Makinen Racing in a Fiat-Abarth Grande Punto S2000 for this week end's Rally Finland.

You can turn on the Closed Caption feature on this clip (lower right corner) to follow what Inka from Finland's YLE is saying. Summarized, Ferrari has put no limits on Raikkonen for the rally, he can go all out and his more experienced Finn friends are enjoying giving him a bit of a hard time.

(YLE via YouTube)



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Raikkonen to debut in WRC in Finland. Meanwhile in Maranello...

I think it must be the first time since the time of Vic Elford that a top Formula 1 driver contested championship rallies. It certainly is the first time a Formula 1 World Champion does so. Very cool.

Raikkonen will drive an Fiat Abarth Grande Punto at the WRC Rally Finland and will have a very experienced partner in the right seat. Kaj Lindstrom was Tommy Makinen's navigator. Makinen's team is running the car Kimi will use. Raikkonen has previously driven two non championship rallies this year.

"Rally Finland is not going to be easy for sure," said Lindstrom. "The rallies we have done so far have been smaller events, a three-day WRC round is much longer and more intense than those national events.
"And it doesn't just start with the rally, we have two days to go through the recce and make the notes. Kimi makes very good pace notes, but there will be pressure on for the recce."

Lindstrom added that his driver's absence of gravel experience will also make his task tougher next month.

"He has competed on snow and asphalt, but never gravel, but we have tested on gravel," said Lindstrom. "But one of the hardest things for Kimi will be the speed of this event. Rally Finland and the roads used are so fast, like nothing we have done before - that does take time.
"But, let's not forget, this guy is a pretty good driver! He's very talented and I'm sure he will cope fine."

(via Autosport)



Meanwhile back in Maranello, rumors are more insistent that the Italian GP will see an official announcement of Fernando Alonso moving to Ferrari in 2010 through 2014. These rumors have been around for a while of course but looking at the state of affair at Ferrari and a chance of drivers in 2010 makes much sense. 2009 is written off, 2010 will be the start of a new era when Ferrari will likely make a huge effort to rebound after this year's disaster. Many have noticed how calm and philosophical Alonso has been in spite of his difficult Renault, I think the Ferrari contract in his pocket acted as very effective chamomile to calm his nerves.
(via AS)

Nobody is saying if Alonso would step into Massa's or Raikkonen's seat. That FIAT would allow Kimi to run WRC can certainly be taken either way: they like him enough to want him happy or they are showing him what his job will be next year. In either case, Ferrari will most certainly be looking to Sebastian Vettel as soon as he becomes available in 2011.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Finland...

Kimi Raikkonen was driving a Fiat Abarth Grande Punto S2000 rally car in the Arctic Lapland Rally this past week end. Raikkonen was in as much of a stealth mode as a current Formula 1 driver racing a rally car in snow can possibly be and barely appeared in front of the cameras.

The Ferrari driver was not the only Formula 1 World Champion tearing up the Lapland snows, two time world champion Mika Hakkinen was there flogging an Evo 9 ....and Hakkinen was not the only Formula 1 Mika either, Mika Salo was also driving.

Raikkonen ended up 13th ahead of Mika Hakkinen who came in 19th in the same class.
RESULTS
Lots more videos after the jump.

Like driving in the snow? Want to try it? check THIS out

Raikkonen in a Rally Car.

A vaguely incognito Kimi Raikkonen showed up to visit his countryman Anton Alen (son of legendary 80's rally driver, Markku Alen) at this week end's Rally du Valais in Switzerland. 

In the end, he could not resist and had to have a seat inside Alen's Grande Punto Abarth 2000 running in the IRC series. OK,  so he just sat in it but, a taste of things to come after 2010?

(RacingWorld)

More of less: Abarth-Lotus rolling in 2011

Fiat is big on "secret" deals these days, after the recent connection with BMW now comes word that Torino as been shopping in Hethel for a lightweight sport platform...




The recently resurrected Abarth does not have the resources to develop a new car from scratch but having a lightweight focused two seater would recall days when Abarth was more than just a FIAT tuner.



This "halo" car would be based on the next generation Elise platform and powered by a FIAT turbo engine.

While the combination of a FIAT and a Lotus might strike fear in the hearts of anyone concerned with reliability, we applaud any company moving in the direction of building lighter sports cars, 240hp on 900kg is a good direction!

(pictured is the Elise based Pininfarina Enjoy concept)

more from Autocar

Make that risotto...SPICY!

Sorry, again with the Abarth but I just could not resist, wink!

W.L.F.!

Abarth.

The post below about the new Fiat Punto Abarth got me thinking and I dug up these little clip about Abarth passed.
The Fiat 500 and 600 based Abarth racers I remember going to see race at Monza with my dad when I was little though never on the banking like in the first clip. Mostly I remember them flipping or spinning at Parabolica!

Notice the advanced aerodynamics....the open engine cover as a wing!

The bottom video has some of the hillclimb and Targa Florio cars and the 124 rally car from the 70's.

Risotto!

Sorry, I could not resist. Does it belong here? We hope not for the sake of the Abarth name anyway.

Grande Punto Abarth S2000, will run in the Italian Rally Championship: 2000 cc normally aspirated motor, 270 HP AWD.