Raikkonen: Only Victory will Do

Although Raikkonen lies 25-point behind Fernando Alonso with only three races left, he is still determined not to give up on the chase despite the odds being stacked against him.

"With only three races remaining nothing but another win will do for me in Brazil this weekend," he said. "I will be pushing hard to get maximum points for both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships.

"Qualifying at the front will be important, as there is a slope that gets steeper the further down the grid you are, which can make your start slower."

Raikkonen's reference to qualifying comes after the series of engine failures this season that have forced him to start well down the order - effectively handing the title advantage to Alonso.

McLaren's F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh knows only too well that the team have thrown away valuable points this year - through reliability and the incidents that have cost the team 1-2 finishes.

In Turkey, Juan Pablo Montoya ran off the track with two laps to go, while he crashed out of the Belgian Grand Prix close to the finish.

"Our main aim at Team McLaren Mercedes is to leave the Brazilian Grand Prix having secured a one-two podium finish, and we know we have the performance to achieve this," Whitmarsh said.

"The current strength of the Team McLaren Mercedes package is a testament to the work that has been taking place all year in Woking, Brixworth, Stuttgart and on the test track, and we need to take this and optimise our position in the fight for both Championships.

"We came so close to taking the lead in the Constructors' at Spa, however were hampered by matters out of our control, however we are looking to make amends in Brazil."