Kimi admits to new car concern

McLaren launched its new machine back in November, and has looked fast for much of the winter. However, the team was notably off the pace during much of last week's test, and was also hampered by several major technical problems relating to its Mercedes engines.

"In testing at Jerez and Valencia the MP4-19 went really well, but at Barcelona we started having problems, " Raikkonen told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. "There haven't been many positive days of testing, so that's why I'm still not sure how good our new car really is.

"For the most part our problems have been with set-up. For most of them we already have a solution, we just need to integrate it all out in the remaining test sessions. Our troubles are mostly in connection with the integration of the new car with the new engine."

Despite the team's troubles at Barcelona, Raikkonen is confident that the team will be reliable come the opening race in Melbourne.

"I think the reliability of the new Mercedes engine won't be a problem at all, especially when the new evolution comes. Things will be fine. That's what I hope anyway, because the championship will be starting shortly and at Barcelona we had trouble keeping up with Williams. It's a long season, 18 races, but I hope we have a good start in Australia."