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#64288
From Planet F1:

He may be 19 points behind the leader in the World Championship, but Kimi Raikkonen is not giving up on his dream of winning back-to-back titles.

The Finn though will have his work cut out as he is now fourth in the Drivers' Championship after crashing out of the Belgian Grand Prix over the weekend.

The 28-year-old believes he can still win the title and says he will "fight right until the end".

"I had just one goal when I came to Belgium: victory. I just wanted to win the race, anything else would not have been enough for me, also because it meant that my competitors could have widened the gap," he told the Ferrari website.

"There's no point in complaining now. I did my very best, but it wasn't enough. These things happen. It's the same in ice hockey or in motocross: you give and you take, but you never give up.

"I'm not worried about what happened and I won't give up: I'll fight right until the end. The points will be counted at the end of the season: there are still five races to go. My actual position is not ideal, but as I've said many times I'm not someone who gives up easily."

Raikkonen hopes to get back on track this weekend during Ferrari's home grand prix at Monza.

"We're going back to the track immediately for the Italian GP. Monza is the Mecca of Ferrari's tifosi and I think that there will be a lot of Finnish fans, too.

"It's the fastest track of the year and it's good to go there, knowing that I can count on a car, which runs how I like it.

"I think that the F2008 can be really competitive: after the qualifying we'll see if it was enough. We'll give it all to win, for the team and for the fans.

"This is Ferrari's home race and it would be fantastic to win the Italian GP for the first time. I've got nothing to lose, so I'll give it all, going flat out."
#64295
LOL

"I had just one goal when I came to Belgium: victory. I just wanted to win the race, anything else would not have been enough for me, also because it meant that my competitors could have widened the gap," he told the Ferrari website.


Does that reinforce my opinion that Kimi was attempting to stop the championship gap from widening as much as possible by taking Lewis out when it became clear that victory wasn't on the cards for Kimi, or what!
#64304
Raikkonen vows to go flat out at Monza

As opposed to what? that explains a few things...


Coasting around listening to Classic FM, with some vodka flowing through his in-helmet-straw.

Genious. :thumbup:

As for Kimi vowing to go flat out at Monza, well that's pretty obvious. I mean you don't go driving around Monza - the fastest circuit on the calendar - using only half the throttle in an F1 car.
#64325
This would play in to McLaren's hands nicely...

I was thinking exactly the same. Come on Raikkonen! Perhaps you'll be more use to McLaren in a Ferrari than what you were in the team! :hehe:
#64472
This would play in to McLaren's hands nicely...

I was thinking exactly the same. Come on Raikkonen! Perhaps you'll be more use to McLaren in a Ferrari than what you were in the team! :hehe:

:rofl::thumbup:
#64474
well going on Spa's form Kimi should do better than Massa in the wet and i cant see him pulling over for him! no reigning world champ would want to help a team mate get the title when its still possible for him to get it!
#64680
The comments about KR going "flat out" are superficially silly. And they probably are just standard media guff.

But "going flat out" could plausibly refer to his attitude to risk at Monza. In overtaking situations, that may apply. For example, KR is leading, and RK is challenging. RK comes up the inside. Hamilton or Massa may let him go. But if Raikkonen needs the points as well as beating his championship rivals (*), then he may let RK go. Similar arguments apply to use of engine and tyres.

(*) Bad example, at present RK is a championship rival of Raikkonen I suppose. :eek:
#64683
I think Kimi is going to keep on fighting for the title for as long as its mathematically posible for him to win it.


Probably. But should he? If the positions were reversed I'd expect we'd hear huge amounts of moaning if Massa wasn't prepared to support Raikkonen.
#64695
Raikkonen has got nobody to blame but himself for his troubles. Until Spa, he hadn't put in a decent shift since the French Grand Prix. Yes, the guy is having some problems with his tyres, but they're not as bad as he and Ferrari suggest. Why is it he was able to do a solid job at the beginning of the season and why is it that he can put in fast laps in races, but only for inconsistent periods of time - even though the tyres should be well up to temperature? Some people say that Raikkonen should fight on after his comeback last season, but they are forgetting that McLaren were in turmoil and had two drivers going for the title. In 2008, McLaren have only Hamilton going for the title and Kovalainen is getting a thrashing more or less every Grand Prix weekend by him. His comeback looks much less likely this season. From a neutral's point of view, Raikkonen battling on could make the title race more interesting, and from a McLaren point of view, it will help Hamilton's title bid.
Last edited by McLaren Fan on 12 Sep 08, 17:05, edited 1 time in total.
#64707
I know F1 drivers have to be a bit arrogent to get where they are, but even Schumacher played a support role one season. Although it is possible for him to win the championship it would take a huge loss of momentum from both Massa and Hamilton for that to happen.
If Massa finishes ahead of him this race he really must support Massa's bid after all isnt it better for the title to go to someone in your team than to someone outside it?
(Dont get me wrong Hamilton will blow them both away :hehe::hehe: )

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