16/05/2007
NEWS STORY
While some are beginning to write off his 2007 World Championship hopes, not to mention his career with Ferrari, Kimi Raikkonen warns that his championship hopes are very much alive.
"There are still thirteen races to go," said the Finn, "and I am only eight points down on the leader.
"Of course I would like to be at the top of the classification," he continued, "but as I have often said, there is still no reason to worry about it yet. The true effect of Sunday's retirement will only be known at the end of the season.
"I am very happy for Felipe who drove a fantastic race," he added, referring to his teammate who won Sunday's race. "I am happy for him and for the team, even if we were unable to get the best possible result."
Referring to the fact that he left the circuit almost immediately after retiring, the Finn said: "I asked the team if I could go quickly and I'm pleased they saw that giving me permission was the right thing to do. I arrived home in Wollerau in time to see the final stages of the ice hockey world championship final, but Finland lost to Canada. Obviously, this just wasn't a good day!"
Speaking specifically about his race on Sunday, Raikkonen said: "I am not the type to go over what has happened and I'm not about to start now. This is part of racing and it's impossible to change what has happened. Retiring from a race is the worst part of our sport and it makes you feel the worst. Points have been lost and there's no going back.
"Suddenly on lap 9, I lost all the electrics on the car and there was nothing I could do but come back to the pits. I was third and, with the strategy we had chosen, I think I could have had a good race. It is difficult following someone, but I think I could have passed Hamilton in the run of pit stops, but we will never know now how it might have finished up.
"In qualifying, my speed through the first two sectors was great but, by the end of the lap I was losing a bit of grip. We still need to fine tune the set up a bit to get things right."
As his team prepares for the forthcoming races in Monaco and Montreal, Raikkonen is full of anticipation.
"I will test for two days after Felipe has had his turn and we will work on trying to adapt the car as much as possible to my driving style, while also trying new components for the forthcoming races.
"Then it will be time for Monaco. It's one of my favourite tracks because I really like street circuits, so I'm pleased to see there will soon be more of them on the calendar. I can't wait to race through the streets of the Principality and of course, in the hope of repeating my result from two years ago."