Raikkonen targets top of the podium
Kimi Raikkonen has warned world championship rival Fernando Alonso he is out to tighten the screw this weekend as Mercedes seek to make amends for recent engine failures on home soil.
McLaren star Raikkonen has been the class act of the last two grands prix in France and at Silverstone, notably storming his way through the field from a lowly grid position to podium finishes in both races, the latter being won by team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya.
The flying Finn would almost certainly have won both races but for infuriating problems with the Mercedes engine, ultimately forcing a change and subsequent 10-place demotion down the grid.
Undeterred, Raikkonen has managed to keep the pressure on championship leader Alonso, claiming second and third places in comparison to the Spaniard’s first and second, dropping just four points in the process.
Going into Sunday’s German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, Raikkonen currently trails Alonso by 26 points in the drivers’ standings, and while still within touching distance he knows there can be no margin for error from now until the end of the season.
“The battle for the championship is still on and I am determined to get a good result and work on closing the gap in this race,” said Raikkonen.
