Ecclestone baffled by Raikkonen's form

The Ferrari driver has not won a race since the Spanish Grand Prix in April and has failed to score any points in his last four outings.

He is 27 points behind championship leader Lewis Hamilton with just three races to go.

Raikkonen won the title against all odds last year, after overcoming a 17-point gap in the last two races, but the Finn has been overshadowed by teammate Felipe Massa in 2008.

Ecclestone admits Raikkonen's form has surprised him, and the F1 boss said he wished the Finn was more open.

"Kimi is a strange guy and I like him the way he is," Ecclestone told Gazzetta dello Sport. "But when you win the title you must make an effort and open yourself more, because you become the symbol of your sport. Instead, he hasn't done that.

"I know him as a great driver, but I don't know where that driver is anymore. It's a mystery."

Ecclestone also praised Massa, whom he believes deserves the title this year as much as Hamilton,.

"He's very strong but he's been unlucky. I say that it'd be bad if Hamilton doesn't win the title this year after last year's bad luck. No, I'll correct myself, after his team's bad management. But at the same time it wouldn't be fair if Massa loses it either."

The Briton added that Hamilton was in the same league as the greatest F1 drivers.

"He's an extraordinary talent, in the same ballpark as the Sennas and the Schumachers. Last year, as a rookie, he nearly won the title. Can you remember others like that?"