(from autosport) Kimi Raikkonen endured another torrid weekend at Monza, finishing outside the points for the third race running. With his title hopes all but gone, the Ferrari driver told a group of reporters after the race that his main focus is to now solve his problems rather than worry about retaining his title. Q. Are you satisfied with your race? Kimi Raikkonen: Do you think I am? Q. I am wondering? KR: For sure we are not happy. But fortunately this is the result. In the end the car was good again but we seem to have a problem to get the tyres working. Once they switch on, it is okay. But if they don't work, then there is nothing I can do. Q. Q. Are you still thinking of the championship, or more about helping your teammate? KR: I am just trying to get the things right, that is the main thing. I am not thinking about anything right now. Hopefully we will get the car working. It works when the tyre works but we cannot switch the tyres on and then everything goes wrong after that. I am not really interested to think about what we are going to do in the next few races. Hopefully we can get everything right, and have some more fun again. Q. How much is Ferrari's wet-weather performance compromising the team's championship hopes? KR: It is not the first time for us. Sometimes it works and sometimes not, and we don't really have an explanation about why it doesn't work, and why the tyres work sometimes. I think it is not about the car not being good in some conditions, it is just to get the whole combination working together and usually we then get good results. Today was one of those. In the end, it was good but it was 40 laps too late. Q. What are your feelings about Toro Rosso's victory? Is it embarrassing being beaten by a customer team? KR: It was good for them, but nothing apart from the engine is from Ferrari. That is all. I think it is more an issue for Red Bull as they have the same car, so for sure we would rather be winning here but we could not. Q. How long did it take for the tyres to come in? KR: At the end they only started to work. They didn't have any proper grip during the first or the second stint. The second was slightly better than the first stint, but at that point it was quite late. Once we got the intermediates, first it took a while and then once they start working it is like a switch - from one lap to another it is a completely different feeling with the car and then we can push again. If we could do it straight away it would help. Q. Is it all about the tyres then? KR: Like I said, it helps us to get the tyre working and then everything turns good again. If we can get the tyres working straight away that will be a big help and a completely different story, but we could not today. Hopefully in the future we are able to do it. Q. What do you think about your championship situation? KR: It is not good, but we keep trying and hopefully we can have good races at the end of the year and that would be a nice thing. It hasn't been lately so easy, so that is what we are aiming for. Q. Are you worried about the situation for the future, especially having just extended your contract? KR: Well, of course I am happy otherwise I would not have signed it. This year has not been easy for us, but that is racing and it sometimes goes like that. Next year is a different story and after that we will see what we can do. Q. Are you going to help Felipe Massa? KR: I don't know. We will see what happens.
This is quite plausible. It is possible for the car to be too easy on the tires below a particular speed or lap time, never allowing them to "come in." This would particularly explain his trouble in qualy.
Sure he does not sound happy, but answering he does not know if he is going to help FM is not a cool answer. He should have said he will do everything to help the team win or something to that effect.
Give the guy a break. He's a competitor and he is pissed. He's also wise not to openly say he'll help Massa. I have no doubt that if he finds himself in a position to assist his teammate he will.
Plausible, but no excuse. It's a spec tire series. EVERYONE has to struggle with the same problems. If the car has been developed poorly, I guess it's fair to let him pass the buck a little, but Massa seems to be doing reasonably well with the same equipment. CW
Very true and one thing I have to say...isn't it nice to not hear a Kimi blaming Massa or the team for his woes. Imagine if Alonso were at Ferrari and in this position as he was last year at McLaren. I wish Kimi were performing better but the man has my respect if just for this reason alone.
