Q & A with Kimi Raikkonen

After years of being entertained, enthralled and sometimes amazed by his predecessor Michael Schumacher's similar press gatherings, Raikkonen was always going to have a tough act to follow.

And although it was instantly clear that F1 and Ferrari are entering a new era with Raikkonen, who is widely known for using one word when 20 words will suffice, he still offered some interesting insight into how his winter had gone.

Autosport.com was there to hear from the Finn.

Q. How does it feel to be here in Melbourne?

Kimi Raikkonen: It is nice to be here at the first race. It is a new team, new season and it is exciting. Let's wait and see how it goes.

Q. Ferrari are everyone's favourites for this weekend. How do you see the potential of the car?

KR: I think so we are pretty happy with how things went in testing. In the last test we had everything, the package, that we have here. We are looking forward but it is too early to say. So many things can go right or wrong, so we just do the best that we can and hopefully we can be up there fighting for all the wins.

Q. Everyone is talking about the new tyres being very hard, what do you think about the tyres?

KR: It is the same for every team, and every driver so it doesn't make any difference to anybody. It seems to be okay. They are different to Michelin and different to what they used to be last year, but like I said it is the same for everybody. We just need to find the best way of using them.

Q. Did you have to change your driving style?

KR: No.

Q. Do you not feel a certain level of excitement because you are now driving for Ferrari?

KR: I think so; the first race is always exciting. Maybe it is a little bit more with a new team, everything is new, but we will be okay.

Q. Do you feel more integrated into the team now that the winter is behind you?

KR: Yeah, I feel a lot better. With more time you get to know more the working way of the people you work with - and they know you more. But I think we had an okay winter and we will see how it goes in the races. But every day you learn something and we will get better.

Q. People say Ferrari are favourites, but some say that the battle between you and Felipe Massa could be a big problem. Does that worry you?

KR: For sure, if we have a good car like it looks like then it will always be a race between teammates. That is always normal; it has always been like that in the past. It is good in a way. We have a good atmosphere in the team, a good relationship, and on the circuit we always want to beat each other. That is always normal.

Q. What is your aim for this first Grand Prix weekend?

KR: We want to win of course, but in the past the Australian Grand Prix has been quite funny. The weather has been very difficult; you see many accidents and safety cars, so hopefully everything goes well.

Q. How was the race in Finland at the weekend?

KR: It was okay. Normal. Why you ask? It is nothing to do with this weekend.

Q. Kimi, looking at the winter testing and your performance next to Felipe Massa everyone is getting excited. Bernie Ecclestone has said that Felipe will be world champion. Have you been holding anything back? Have we seen a misleading picture?

KR: I don't know. We will see what happens in the races, but of course testing is always difficult to say what is going on but at least we know ourselves where we are. That is the main thing. There is no real point to go into the details because it is not going to change anything. But I am very happy with how things have gone and we need to wait and see what happens in the races.

Q. You have come here to win the championship. Have you seen anything that makes you think it will be more of a fight than when you originally signed with the team?

KR: I think so, every year is difficult. It doesn't matter which team you are with, but even if you have a good car it can get very difficult. I think we have a good package and as long as we get everything working well we should be able to fight for it, at least. And then we will see what happens.

Q. You spent five years at McLaren and then moved to Ferrari. People are saying that McLaren have a distinct driving style, has it been quite different coming to the Ferrari?

KR: Not really. The tyres, the whole package, is slightly different but the driving style itself is not really an issue. It is more about all the other things to know how to work with the people and with the system that they have. All the systems are slightly different and it takes time to get the best out of it that you want.

Q. Is that all sorted now?

KR: Yeah, pretty much. Of course with more time you always get better, but I think we are in a good position. And for sure by the end of the year we will know each other better, but I think so it is okay now.

Q. How much have you spoken to Michael Schumacher over the winter about the car and testing?

KR: I have seen him a few times and spoken a few times, but that is all.

Q. Has it been useful?

KR: I think so. I saw him before we started to test, and during the one test. But we haven't really spoken too much.

Q. Mark Webber said having Michael around at tests was like having an ex-girlfriend out on a new date with you. Would you agree?

KR: I don't know. That's for him and I don't know what he means about it. But, like I said I only met him a few times. That is it for me. It doesn't matter. He has been a long time a part of the team, he knows the team very well and he has a lot of experience, so for sure he can help. It is nothing to do with me personally so I think for the team it is a good thing.

Q. Did you say at any point that you were taking some time to get used to the tyres, or was that something you never said?

KR: For sure at the beginning I would not have said it was just the tyres it was the whole car and everything. I just needed to find the best way of what suits me. It took a little while, but also the problems was the weather was not really good before we got to Bahrain. If you don't have good weather and cannot work the whole day it always makes it a bit more difficult, and it takes a longer time. So in Bahrain we found what we wanted to use.

Q. In the testing during winter Ferrari didn't seem too fast and then in Barcelona and Bahrain it seemed faster. Why was that?

KR: Basically in Bahrain we only had the package that we are going to have here. So I think that was the big issue. I think so, we just found out how to get the car working with the tyres better.