Raikkonen's rites of passage.

Finnish 'wonderkid' Kimi Raikkonen has experienced some of Formula One's more arcane rituals as he limbers up for his grand prix debut in Melbourne on Sunday.

The 21-year old has been used to wandering into deserted race tracks unopposed during his brief racing career, but quickly discovered the impregnable nature of Formula One's defences in Australia.

Raikkonen was invited to Melbourne early to view the Albert Park race track, but the F1 probationer must have thought Max Mosley and the FIA had changed their minds when he was refused access to the parkland venue.

Apparently he had not applied for some obscure document and discovered that, in F1, more than anywhere, rules are rules. He was not allowed in until the rest of the F1 entourage arrived the following day.

Raikkonen then received one of the peculiar privileges regularly granted to F1 drivers when he was invited to sit in the passenger seat of an Australian Air Force jet. An experience previously 'enjoyed' by the likes of Johnny Herbert and David Coulthard, flying in air force jets gives drivers a real idea of what G-force is all about.

Raikkonen smiled his way through the sense-altering ride and professed afterwards to have enjoyed himself, though his gills had acquired a hue not unlike the light green of team sponsor Petronas.