Raikkonen Disappointed to Miss Out on Win

Kimi Raikkonen said he was disappointed not to finish the season with a victory for McLaren after pushing hard to overhaul Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya in the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Finn Raikkonen, who will be joined at the British team by Montoya next year, won the Belgian Grand Prix in August and had hoped to double his tally with success at Interlagos after taking the lead on the opening lap.

But Montoya passed him with a better pitstop strategy and a faster car throughout the 71-lap race and Raikkonen said: "When you can't win you are always disappointed. We did what we could but were not able to win."

Montoya and Raikkonen both pitted on the same lap for their first stop and left the pits side-by-side but the Williams driver got the better of his future teammate and never looked back.

"We needed to be in front of him but it didn't happen," said Raikkonen. "I could still close the gap but that is it. I couldn't do anything else. I tried to get close enough to do something but I was not able to do it.

"The car was good and the Michelin tyre is very competitive now. But I think when he passed after the pitstop I took it a bit too careful into the first corner so I think the race was pretty much decided then."

Raikkonen said that the Williams car was the better on the day and added: "I think we were a little bit lacking in the speed in some parts of the race so I couldn't stay with him."

It was only the fourth podium of the year Raikkonen, who finished runner-up to Michael Schumacher in last year's World Championship, following a disastrous start for his team in which he retired from the first three races.

He finished the season in sixth place in the Drivers' Championship, five points behind Montoya, and Williams finished the season fourth in the Constructors' Championship with a 25-point lead over McLaren.