• Spanish Grand Prix
Comments: 1

Raikkonen wants smooth weekend to challenge for win

ESPN Staff
May 10, 2012 « Car not significantly different - Alonso | Testing data matters little for race - Vettel »
Kimi Raikkonen scored a podium in only the fourth race since his return to the sport © Sutton Images
Enlarge
Related Links

Kimi Raikkonen says Lotus can challenge for victory in the Spanish Grand Prix but only if it has a smooth weekend.

Having finished second in Bahrain - just over three seconds behind race winner Sebastian Vettel - Raikkonen was asked if the team would be able to fight for the win once again. He admitted that the close nature of the field meant a small problem would drop the team out of contention, but with new parts on the car he said the team has the potential to be in battling at the front.

"The rules are different so you don't have to be on the pole now," Raikkonen said, having won from pole position twice previously in Barcelona. "We'll try; I don't know how we will go. It's very difficult to say before the weekend starts. Always the teams are very close so if everything goes smoothly I think we can be up there, but small difficulties in some areas and you're suddenly much further back. We'll try and do everything right ... we should have some new parts and we'll see what happens."

Raikkonen admitted that he wasn't satisfied with his second place in Bahrain because he'd had the opportunity to win the race.

"I think once you get so close you are not happy with second. If you are twenty seconds behind then it doesn't really matter but we had a chance and we couldn't use it so it's a bit disappointing. But at least for the team it was a good weekend."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices