Raikkonen Concerned by McLaren's Problems

Kimi Raikkonen is concerned by McLaren's problems during testing last week, when the team tested for the first time this year alongside their main rivals, including Williams and Ferrari.

McLaren was lacking pace throughout their four-days session, their four regular drivers - David Coulthard, Alex Wurz, Raikkonen and Pedro de la Rosa - ending as overall 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th fastest, respectively. Only the Saubers, of Giancarlo Fisichella and Felipe Massa, were slower than the McLarens.

Raikkonen admitted the lack of pace concerns him but said he was hopeful the team were able to fix all errors before the season begins in Australia, in a month's time. "In testing at Jerez and Valencia the MP4/19 went really well, but at Montmelo we started to have problems," Raikkonen told 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-ups. For many of them we already have a solution, we just need to sort it all out in the remaining tests. Our troubles are mostly to do with the integration of the car with the new engine."

Raikkonen said, however, that he wasn't worried about the reliability of the new Mercedes engine, given that this year the new regulations require an engine to last for the entire Grand Prix weekend.

"I think that the reliability of the new Mercedes engines won't be a problem at all, especially when the new evolution will come; things will be fine," the Finn said. "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'll have a good start already in Australia."

Raikkonen also commented on McLaren team chief Ron Dennis's recent comments, that World Champion Michael Schumacher may retire at the end of this season, also suggesting that Ferrari are looking to sign the Finn as replacement for Schumacher.

"Schumacher has a contract until 2006, and I don't think he'll quit this year," Raikkonen said. "I have a contract with McLaren, and when that expires we'll see what happens. But Ferrari haven't talked to me."

Asked if he can see his future at Ferrari, Raikkonen - whose contract with McLaren is set to expire at the end of 2005, according to Gazzetta dello Sport - replied: "I don't know, it's hard to say now. We'll see. I feel really well at McLaren and I see no reason to change."

He also dismissed any suggestions that Juan Pablo Montoya's move to McLaren in 2005 poses a threat to his own status at McLaren. "Frankly, I don't care who my teammate is," Raikkonen told the newspaper. "My contract says that at McLaren there isn't a number one and a number two. Montoya is a good driver, one of the most difficult to pass. Like Michael. But I don't have any special relationship with him: I talk to him in the paddock, but I can't say I know him well."

Asked if he would ever accept driving as the number two driver in a team, Raikkonen said: "I can understand helping the teammate if one had an awful season while the other has a chance for the title. But I wouldn't race for a team where the second driver is pre-determined, because I couldn't stand knowing that I can't win even if I do my best."

Finally, Raikkonen played down the importance of winning the World Championship while Schumacher is still around, after Dennis told reporters last week he would like to see Schumacher get beaten before he retires.

"It would be nice [to beat Schumacher], but I don't really care who I beat if I become World Champion," Raikkonen said. "Maybe people will think I'm better if I win against Schumacher, but it's fine for me either way."