Kimi Räikkönen’s winter guide

Kimi Räikkönen’s winter guide
  • Winter guide
  • ON THE ROAD
  • ON THE WINDSHIELD
  • ABOUT THE TYRES
  • UNDER THE HOOD

Kimi Räikkönen’s winter guide

Discover all the tips
to enjoy winter to the fullest

The winter guide to drive at your best

Ice, snow, rain. Winter is slippery and full of obstacles, so we asked Kimi Räikkönen to help us out with some tips, because no one knows the cold better than the Ice-Man himself. Turn winter into a beautiful journey and enjoy it to the fullest with this guide.
ON THE ROAD

ON THE ROAD

Keep the right safe distance on snow

When you’re driving on snowy roads, in addition to slowing down, you should also increase the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. Normally, you should stay 3-4 seconds behind the vehicle in front of you. But in winter weather the distance should be increased to 8-10 seconds. This will make it easier to stop if you need to.

If you are driving on ice or wet roads with a manual gearshift you should use short gears and, in case of braking, the engine brake instead of the brake pedal. This will give you more stability avoiding slippings and sudden movements from the car. 

ON THE WINDSHIELD

ON THE WINDSHIELD

Change your wiper blades 

Your windshield wipers are relentlessly exposed to heat, cold, dust and UV rays even when they’re at rest.

You should change them every 6 months, preferably before winter starts. And if you leave your car outdoors, remember to lift them up in case it snows so that they won’t remain attached to the windshield. 

ABOUT THE TYRES

ABOUT THE TYRES

Check the tread and mount the winter tyres

Checking the tread and mounting winter tyres is essential and easy to do. You could use a 2€ coin to check whether your tyre tread depths are safe, by inserting the coin into the main tread grooves. If you can still see the outer silver rim of the coin when it is inserted, your tyre may be illegal and should be checked by a specialist.

About winter tyres you should shift them as soon as the temperature is below 7 degrees Celsius. 

UNDER THE HOOD

UNDER THE HOOD

Put the antifreeze and check the battery

You can change the antifreeze fluid only if your engine is completely cool. Once you find the engine coolant reservoir loosen the cap a bit and step back while the pressure releases. Then proceed to remove the cap completely and if the coolant level is low, add the fluid. You can use diluted coolant by itself, or a 50/50 mixture of concentrated coolant and distilled water. When the coolant rises to the fill line, replace the cap and tighten it until you hear a click.

 

Battery is also to be checked. When the temperature drops, a weak battery cannot provide enough energy to start a cold engine. For this reason, you must remember to do an annual check on the battery and the charging system.