Kimi vows to help team win title
Although mathematically still in the hunt for the title, the Finn's 20 point deficit to his teammate Felipe Massa means not approaching the final races of the season with a policy of driver preference would be arguably unwise for Ferrari.
But Raikkonen, 28, said as recently as this week: "Only when I no longer have a mathematical chance will I be totally at the service of the team."
In Ferrari's official pre-race documentation prior to round fifteen of the world championship, however, he has changed his tune.
"I think that we'll have the possibility to win in the four outstanding races and I will give it my all to make it and to help the team to reach its goals," he said.
Ferrari is clearly not going to declare Raikkonen a 'number two' driver to support title charger Massa, but even the language used by team boss Stefano Domenicali is now sounding much less ambiguous.
The Italian said Ferrari's two drivers met with president Luca di Montezemolo recently at Maranello, "who made it very clear that, as usual Ferrari's simple target come the end of the season is to win both titles.
"Both drivers will be working towards this target over the remaining four races, knowing that, as always for the Scuderia, the good of the team comes first," Domenicali added.
09/24/08
 |
| Kimi Raikkonen is looking forward to Singapore |
The Formula One teams await a whole new challenge this weekend at the all-new Singapore street Grand Prix which will host the first ever night race in the history of the sport. Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen is ready for the new affront.
Kimi Raikkonen: "The most important thing is to win again. The situation in the Championship is what it is and it doesn't depend anymore only on my results, but of my competitors' results. In theory it's not over yet, but I don't have it under control anymore. Last year, in the second part of the season, we had a great set up for the car and I was able to win many races. It was much more difficult this year. Especially as far as the tire temperature is concerned. When the temperature is right, the car is very competitive. We'll give it our best at Singapore, so that we can fight for the win, which still remains the main objective. We have to give it all in these four races and then we'll see what's going to happen. I've said it many times: victory is the only objective, the essence of motor racing. I'm not just here for driving, but I want to win.
"Monza was a bad weekend for me, but afterwards we had a good test session at Mugello. The car had a very good set up in the last two races on the dry track and we've tested some new solutions, which will improve the performance. Last week I spent a day with the simulator at the CRF (Fiat Research Centre) at Turin, where I got an idea of the track, where we're going to race at the weekend.
"I arrived at Singapore today, after one day at Abu Dhabi, where I took part in some promotional events with our partners Mubadala and Etihad Airways. I can't wait to get back on the track, because I love new challenges: since we've known the Championship's race calendar, I've been waiting for 28th September. Of course when I think of the results I had this year on street circuits, I shouldn't be too optimistic, but I still like to race on this kind of track: it's pure emotion, when you find the right set up for the single-seater and race between the walls. I don't think that it will be a big problem that we race at night. They've done it already with motorbikes and it was a great experience. I'm someone who likes to sleep late. My body will adapt perfectly fine to this unusual time of day.
"In the end it's not important when the race starts. When you put on your helmet and go out to the starting grid, you've such a high adrenaline level, that you forget everything else and you just think about giving it everything for the whole race.
"They say that it rains every evening at Singapore. This shouldn't worry us too much, because everybody will race under the same condition. I think that we'll have the possibility to win in the four outstanding races and I will give it my all to make it and to help the Team to reach its goals."