Pitlane Infraction Costs Raikkonen Dear

Kimi Raikkonen was left disappointed after a drive-through penalty cost him the chance of his maiden Grand Prix victory in Australia - with the Finn claiming his McLaren team had got his strategy right to win.

Raikkonen was denied victory in France last year when he slid wide late in the race on oil left on the track, and the drive-through for a speeding offence cost him again at Albert Park.

The decision to change his tyres to slicks at the end of the parade lap and fill his car with enough fuel to run a one-stop strategy looked likely to pay dividends until he was hit with the punishment after exceeding the pitlane speed limit by 1.1 km/h.

"We weren't really sure on the warm up lap if there was enough for dry tyres. Then before we came on the starting grid we decided to come in and change to dry tyres and put in enough fuel for one stop," Raikkonen said.

"It was a quick decision but unfortunately it didn't really work out too well because I got pulled in for speeding in the pitlane and lost too many places. I didn't know I was speeding."

Raikkonen had enjoyed a titanic battle with Ferrari's Michael Schumacher before the drive-through penalty, the young Finn even forcing the five-time World Champion onto the grass into turn one.

"The first corner is a bit too tight for two cars and someone needs to give up," Raikkonen added. "It was quite difficult, the first part of the lap easy to keep him behind. In the first corner he seemed to get a good exit before and I had some difficulties a couple of times but it was quite quick. It was a good race with him, maybe he was a bit quicker than us but not much."