Ferrari F1 team says Kimi Raikkonen is under 'positive pressure'

The 2007 F1 world champion finished a lapped 13th in Sunday's Austin race, while team-mate Fernando Alonso again scored points for the Scuderia by completing the top six.

Raikkonen now lies more than 100 points adrift of Alonso in the drivers' championship, but Ferrari team principal Mattiacci played down the ramifications of another lacklustre race for the Finn.

When asked by AUTOSPORT whether pressure is growing on Raikkonen to justify his place in the team, Mattiacci said: "Positive pressure. It's important for pressure to always be positive pressure.

"At the moment we need to avoid overreacting.

"We know there is an issue with him and the feeling of the car - too much understeering at the front of the car, and we know this has been an ongoing issue during the season.

"But we are a team, it's our driver, so we need to work on this."

Raikkonen admitted to reporters after the race that he hates the current situation he finds himself in at Ferrari, but remains hopeful a solution can be found.

"Obviously it's not a very easy thing to know what we should do," Raikkonen said.

"We keep trying things but we suffer with the same problem more or less.

"Is it the tyre, or is it a combination of things? Some races are a bit better but most of them it is the same story.

"It's a bit frustrating, but that's how it goes and we have to try and make the best out of it."