Analysis: Raikkonen Can Afford to Take Risks

Kimi Raikkonen rose to the occasion on Saturday in a US Grand Prix final qualifying session that reflected the Championship stakes.

The Finn, McLaren's outside hope in a three-way battle for the world title, outpaced Ferrari's Michael Schumacher and Williams' Juan Pablo Montoya to take pole on a grid that inverted the overall Championship standings.

Schumacher has 82 points, Montoya 79 and Raikkonen 75 but the Finn was on pole, with Montoya fourth and the World Champion a distant seventh.

"We saw how much the battle for the title can influence performance in qualifying," said Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn. "Certainly Michael and Montoya cannot afford to take risks which might then compromise their race, so it is natural that they adopted a slightly cautious approach."

Schumacher has the most to lose, edging towards a record sixth Championship with a three-point lead over Colombian Montoya with just the season-ending Japanese Grand Prix remaining after Indianapolis.

The German could clinch the title on Sunday if circumstances go his way, but he needs Montoya to finish sixth or lower and Raikkonen to take no more than third place. A win for Montoya at Indianapolis could equally see him head for Suzuka in the lead with a first Championship very much within his grasp.

But Raikkonen is in danger of being ruled out of the equation unless he can beat both his rivals.

Asked whether he was treating Sunday as a normal race, he replied: "Yeah, pretty much, because we don't have much to lose. But I think we have more to win than lose."

The 23-year-old, who can become Formula One's youngest champion, made clear that he would go flat out until there was absolutely no hope.

"I haven't even been thinking that we are not in a Championship fight anymore. Of course we are, as long as there is even a small chance," he said. "During the race, I'm not really looking at what the other people are doing. We will just try to do our own stuff and then see what happens."

Schumacher was very conscious of the situation.

"In terms of the Championship, my closest rival is only three places ahead of me (on the grid)," said Schumacher. "This is not a disaster and with Kimi on pole the title race is a bit more open now."