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Raikkonen cautious on back injury

Kimi Raikkonen struggled with his back most notably on Saturday in Singapore © Sutton Images

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Kimi Raikkonen is remaining cautious over the state of his back ahead of next weekend's Korean Grand Prix.

There were doubts over Raikkonen's ability to take part in qualifying in Singapore after a back injury flared up, but having been limited to 13th on the grid he recovered to take third place in the race. Although he admitted he was less severely hampered in the race, Raikkonen said he would be analysing the injury during Friday practice at Yeongam.

"It's better than it was on Saturday in Singapore which is when it didn't feel too good," Raikkonen said. "The important thing was that I was able to race and we did a pretty good job with the podium finish. It's not the first time I've had a problem, as there have been some issues with my back for a long time. For sure, we will have to see how it is when I get out on track on Friday in Korea."

Raikkonen also said he was hopeful of a strong showing in Korea, with the potential at Lotus masked somewhat by his fitness issues in Singapore.

"Let's hope we are able to maintain the strong form from Sunday in Singapore. The car felt good for the whole race and it was a nice feeling racing too. The main focus is to keep this positive feeling and benefit from it in the next races.

"The main target is to have a better weekend overall compared to what we saw in Singapore. Obviously, we didn't have the best qualifying and it makes things easier if you start in the top ten."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.