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Raikkonen takes inspiration from 2007 title

Kimi Raikkonen: "The gap to Sebastian is quite big now so it will be very difficult to catch him, but we'll keep pushing all the way © Press Association

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• Race:
• Indian Grand Prix

• Drivers:
• Kimi Räikkönen

• Teams:
• Lotus F1

Kimi Raikkonen admits he is taking inspiration from his 2007 world championship victory as this year's title race comes to a head.

Having finished fifth in Korea, Raikkonen has now slipped 48 points behind championship leader Sebastian Vettel with just four races remaining. When winning the championship in 2007 Raikkonen was 17 points off the lead with two races remaining - nearly two race victories at the time as only 10 points were available for a win - and, while he is not willing to set out goals for the final races, he does admit that his remarkable comeback proves he is still in with a chance this season.

"There's no point setting targets; we just need to keep working as hard as we can to score strong points and see what happens from there," Raikkonen said. "In terms of the championship, the gap to Sebastian is quite big now so it will be very difficult to catch him, but we'll keep pushing all the way.

"We have to keep working hard and keep a high level of motivation. Personally I feel my own motivation is very high - like it has always been. I'm keen to get the best results I can. Of course, in 2007 the championship wasn't decided until the last race so anything is possible. Let's see what happens."

Looking ahead to the Indian Grand Prix, Raikkonen said Lotus will have even more upgrades but he hopes to make further progress with the Coanda-effect exhausts which drew so much interest in Korea.

"We know this circuit is likely to be very dusty at the start of the weekend so that will make things interesting for the first practice sessions. We'll have some new things on the car and it will be our second time with the new exhaust system so hopefully we can make more gains with our pace. India should also be pretty hot which should suit us. I'm looking forward to it."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.