(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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