Raikkonen warns rookies: let us past

"Hopefully, let us past," the Finn told a news conference at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Thursday when asked what tips he could pass on.

Two of the three newcomers, Germany's Nico Rosberg and U.S. driver Scott Speed, were sitting behind the 2005 title runner-up.

Rosberg, son of Finland's 1982 World Champion Keke, is making his debut for Williams while Speed will become the first American Formula One driver in 13 years when he starts for Scuderia Toro Rosso.

The third rookie is Japan's Yuji Ide, 31, who has least Formula One experience of all and is also likely to be the slowest, at newcomers Super Aguri.

"I just want to do a good job and improve all the time," said Rosberg, 20, who won the inaugural GP2 junior series in Bahrain last year.

"Certainly there are a lot of nerves when you are starting your first Grand Prix," said Speed, 23, who drove a Red Bull in Friday practice at Indianapolis and Montreal last year.

"I've been dreaming about it ever since I was 11 years old and drove my first go-kart," added the Californian.

"I get a sense of completion that I've completed a big part of my goal in life."

Rosberg has impressed with his confidence and testing times, with Williams already expecting him to score more points in his rookie year than Briton Jenson Button did with them in 2000.

"I don't think they need advice," said Ferrari's seven times World Champion Michael Schumacher. "Generally the young generation have so much time in go-karting and all the formula series.

"Formula One is just a formula car with a bit more horsepower and that goes around quicker. They have enough experience of everything else."

Speed, whose team will run a restricted V10 engine unlike others using V8 units, made clear he had higher ambitions than simply clearing the road for Raikkonen and other frontrunners.

"We are generally aiming to gain as many points as possible," he said.