Raikkonen: McLaren duo cost me Fuji win

The Finn was leading away from the start, but was then forced off the track by Hamilton, who overshot the first corner and was penalised for it.

McLaren teammate Kovalainen made contact with the Ferrari.

The incident made Raikkonen lose several positions, and the world champion reckons that without that he could have won the race.

"The start went well. I was ahead of the rest, just like we had planned. And when you turn into the first corner in front of everybody else, you should be there also when you come out of it," said Raikkonen.

"I have no idea what the drivers behind me were thinking. They braked so late that it was impossible to avoid the following chaos. It was an inexplicable mistake by the two cars from McLaren, who actually expelled me from the fight for victory at the Japanese GP.

"If I had managed to get unharmed through the first corner, I could have won.

"But instead of leading I was again stuck behind slower cars. We gave it our best, but we didn't have the possibility to race with a free track."

Raikkonen finished in third position at Fuji and lost all his chances of retaining the title.

But the Ferrari driver insisted he will be back next year.

"It's true Sunday's result was a 'sayonara' to the drivers' title although I knew since Spa that there wasn't much hope left. I should have won then, because then I still could have decided over my own destiny. But after the retirement it was just a question of time.

"Since January I tell you that I give it my best to win the title again. And if I won't win I'll try it again next year. I know how to become a world champion."