Kimi sure to play spoiler role – Haug
Despite not looking quick all weekend at Fuji Speedway, the Ferrari driver was suddenly competitive in the final fuel-affected segment of qualifying.
The turn of pace suggests that the Italian team has fuelled the Finn light in order to disrupt title rival McLaren's charge.
Indeed, after Felipe Massa qualified a disappointing fifth with a lack of grip, his engineer Rob Smedley was quoted by the German press as saying he "expects" Raikkonen to play a spoiler role from the front.
"Naturally he will have the task to disturb us as well as possible," Mercedes' Haug told the German broadcaster RTL.
"I do not consider Kimi to be at all unfair; he will not drive Lewis into the wall. But he will definitely try to disrupt us if he can.
"As long as whatever happens is not below the belt, that is okay, because Heikki can also disrupt Kimi if necessary," Haug, Mercedes' competition chief, added.