McLaren's Whitmarsh Hails Raikkonen

McLaren-Mercedes managing director Martin Whitmarsh has likened Kimi Raikkonen to his predecessor Mika Hakkinen after the young Finn missed out on victory at Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.

Raikkonen looked set for his maiden Grand Prix win at Albert Park until he was punished for speeding in the pitlane and his failure to reach the chequered flag first has brought back memories of former McLaren man Hakkinen.

"Kimi's hunger to win is remarkable and it reminds me of Mika because he came so close so often before getting his first win," said Whitmarsh. "Schumacher was breathing down his neck and Kimi dealt with him.

"He had two pairs of tyres graining and he was slow but he still held him off and once he was through that period Schumacher didn't look like getting past. There's definitely the potential for wins in Malaysia and Brazil."

Raikkonen, who made his Formula One debut with Sauber two years ago, came close to victory at last year's French Grand Prix but lost control on a patch of oil five laps from the end, allowing Michael Schumacher to win the race and the title.

Raikkonen finished last Sunday's Australian Grand Prix third behind Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and race winner and teammate David Coulthard but the potential of the McLaren-Mercedes suggests he could claim his first win this year.