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'Our day will come' - Raikkonen

ESPNF1 Staff
June 1, 2012 « Alonso - Formula One risks becoming a lottery | Schumacher counting on strong race in Canada »
Kimi Raikkonen: "We've been quick everywhere and we've been on the podium" © Sutton Images
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Kimi Raikkonen is confident Lotus is capable of winning races and says he was not disheartened by his dip in form at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Raikkonen scored podiums at the Bahrain and Spanish Grands Prix and headed to Monaco as one of the favourites for victory. However, he failed to hit his stride at the street circuit after missing most of Thursday morning practice and finished the race ninth after struggling for qualifying and race pace.

"We've been quick everywhere and we've been on the podium," he said. "It's difficult to get everything exactly right at the right time, which is what you have to do to win a grand prix. I've won races with other teams and I have a good feeling that Lotus are capable of strong results. Our day will come."

He added: "One race doesn't change the fact that we have been pretty strong everywhere - even at Monaco during most of the weekend. Monaco is completely different from any other track and I don't think we should worry too much about the fact that it wasn't our best weekend."

Raikkonen missed out on first practice in Monaco to allow his team to change his steering rack after he decided he did not like the feel of a new system devised especially for the event.

"We tried something different for the special challenge of Monaco and it didn't work for me," he said. "It's impossible to test how something will work at Monaco without going to Monaco. We're not allowed open testing and the roads would be too busy for a Formula One car anyway. I'm happy with the basic setup, though it's still an area I'm working on with the team."

Asked if he felt the Lotus E20 would suit the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Canada, Raikkonen said: "We've been competitive in most places and we expect the same there, but like always it's easier to say after the first day of running…"

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