Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali is convinced Kimi Raikkonen will return to form in time to salvage his title campaign.
Raikkonen dropped to third in the Drivers' standings at the previous race in Valencia when an engine failure cost him a potential points-finish.
However, even if he had finished the grand prix, the Finn still would not have brought his winless streak to an end as he was only on course for a possible fifth-placed finish. Raikkonen last won a grand prix back in April at Barcelona.
This has sparked some criticism in the press of the 'Iceman' with some suggesting he has lost his motivation and that Ferrari should put their efforts behind his team-mate Felipe Massa for the title.
Domenicali, though, isn't ready to do that just yet, stating that he believes Raikkonen will return to form.
"For me it doesn't represent a problem," he told the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.
"He'll react, he'll soon be strong again, he knows how to keep away from criticisms."
The team boss also took some of the blame for Raikkonen's lackluster results, stating that Ferrari need to give the reigning Champ a car that he has confidence in if they want him to win races.
"He isn't happy with the way the car enters corners," he said. "He would like it more aggressive, and this influences him. It's up to us to carry on giving him a hand."
However, with a maximum of 60 points to play for Raikkonen is by no means out of the title race as he trails Championship leader Lewis Hamilton by 13 points, prompting Domenicali to predict a tight race to the finish.
"What is about to start in two weeks' time in Belgium will be a sprint Championship over six races, so we can't give away anything anymore," he concluded.
No comments:
Post a Comment