Delight in Turkey for Raikkonen and Lindstrom

Mint, cinnamon, pistachio, roses and walnut: all flavours of lokum, which is better known throughout the world as ’Turkish delight’.

These exotic flavours sound considerably more romantic than the fattening reality of the ingredients: starch and sugar. So Turkish delight is not recommended for anybody on a diet. Nor is it a great present for people who are colour blind or have an uncontrollable hatred of traffic lights, given that Turkish delight mainly comes in red, yellow and green varieties.

There are many stories as to how the original sweet was created. One story says that it was commissioned by a Sultan to please his many wives. Napoleon, Pablo Picasso and Winston Churchill are just three of the famous people to have loved this Turkish treasure ever since.

But Kimi Raikkonen doesn’t need sugary desserts to feel the delight in Turkey. And it wasn’t just Red Bull giving him wings either: a spectacular jump on stage four of the Rally of Turkey launched all the cars several metres into the air. So far, round four of the World Rally Championship has been a breathtaking show.

After a great opening day that concluded with a superspecial in the centre of Istanbul, Kimi ended up in a solid eighth place overall with two tough days of the Rally of Turkey still to go. So he’s not drawing any conclusions just yet.

"It’s been good today," said the Iceman. "We’ve really been sticking with the tactic of going at a comfortable speed in order to make sure that we get to the finish and hopefully score some points. Actually, it’s really hard to say how the rest of the rally will go because all the days are very different, but the main thing is that we’re enjoying ourselves - especially over the big jumps! We’ve had no problems at all today: on one stage this morning I didn’t have such a great feeling, but for only our fourth WRC rally in this car it’s going well. There’s obviously a lot more to come from us, so it’s simply a question of learning."

Kaj Lindstrom, the voice of experience inside the Red Bull car, was also delighted by Kimi’s progress in Turkey. "Today was just what we were after: a nice, solid beginning to the rally that sets us up well for the challenge of tomorrow," he said. "I think that’s going to be the hardest day of the event, as we’ve got some really tough roads and long stages. But Kimi is taking everything in his stride: nothing bothers him. Making the switch to rallying is a massive challenge, so he’s a brave guy. But I think everyone knew that already!"