Sunday 7 December 2014

We have everything we need to make progress in 2015

Kimi Raikkonen
(formula1.ferrari.com)

Scuderia Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen believes that the Maranello based outfit have everything in place to make progress next season. Speaking in Abu Dhabi at the Ferrari World finals on Saturday, Raikkonen commented saying:

It’s not been an easy year for me or the team. Ferrari is always expected to win races and fight at the front. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, but for the next season we laid down the basis for Scuderia Ferrari to come back to the level it should be at.

There’s a lot of work to do but we know which areas we need to improve on. This job has already started and in the factory, we have everything we need, in terms of personnel and the means to make the necessary progress. All we need to do is work as a team, in the unified way that typified this team in past years. I’m sure the 2015 car will be much more competitive, although we will have to wait for the first test session to see where we really stand.’

Raikkonen endured a difficult return to Ferrari in 2014 having spent the two extremely success seasons with the Lotus F1 Team in 2012 and 2013 where the Finn scored two victories including 15 podium finishes for the Enstone based outfit.

Raikkonen was left disappointed as he failed to secure a podium finish in 2014. The Finn believes however that the 2015 season will be much better.

Four time world champion and good friend Sebastian Vettel has joined the Italian team from next season onwards having left Infiniti Red Bull Racing and speaking about the arrival of Sebastian Vettel and new Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene, Raikkonen commented:

I think Maurizio is great and perfect for the role he has been given. I’ve known him from before and have seen how competent he is. I think he will bring to the team his experience and that will prove to be very beneficial. As I’ve already said, Sebastian is a friend and I’m happy to be working with him. I think we can work well together as a team, pushing each other to the limit on track for the good of the Scuderia, as we aim to get it back to where it should be.’

Ferrari had their worst season in Formula One since 1993, however having both Raikkonen and Vettel at the team for 2015 should give the team both the motivation and ability to make the necessary gains in performance to allow them to climb back to the front of Formula One.


Raikkonen heads into the new season with a new race engineer as Dave Greenwood has joined the Italian team from the Marussia F1 Team.

© Ben Johnston 2014

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