McLaren targets more points

After four retirements in two races for Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard, their fifth and sixth spots in Montreal last weekend came as welcome relief to a team that has suffered its worst start to a season in its history.

While the team won the event with Mika Hakkinen in 2001, a repeat is not expected this time round with chief executive Martin Whitmarsh instead targeting a points finish.

"We have won in Indianapolis in all its various guises, although we recognize with our current form we are realistically aiming for some solid point finishes," he said.

Last year when the Indianapolis event was the penultimate race of the year, Raikkonen finished second behind Michael Schumacher putting him in line for the title at the final race of the season in Japan. While this is out of the question for the Finn this year, he expects his car to perform well on the technical circuit.

"The weather of course played a major role in the outcome in 2003, hopefully as the Grand Prix has moved to June there will not be such changeable and unpredictable conditions during the race," he said.

"Although it is quite tough on the teams, I am enjoying having race after race at the moment, and hopefully we will run well at Indy. I think that as with the Nurburgring, the Motor Speedway will be better suited to the characteristics of our car, as it is not an out and out speed track."