SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, Sept 16, 2007 (AFP) - Kimi Raikkonen insists he
is "still in the hunt" for the drivers' world championship after winning the
Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.
The Finnish Ferrari driver led the race from start to finish, his fourth
victory of the season cutting the gap between himself and championship leader
Lewis Hamilton, fourth in Spa, to 13 points.
Though he accepts that it would be "amazing" if he could catch Hamilton
(and his McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso who is just two points behind the
rookie Brit), Raikkonen's dominance on Sunday has him believing that it is
possible.
"We haven't given up and are still in the hunt," said Raikkonen.
"We reduced the gap again. We lost a bit in the last race but anything can
happen. There are still three races to go, everyone is so close and we will
fight hard and sometimes things can go wrong for all of us.
"We will keep pushing and see what happens. If we do it will be amazing but
we will keep pushing and we don't give up."
Raikkonen did sound a note of caution however, when discussing the venue of
the next grand prix. Fuji, in Japan, is likely to be better suited to the
McLaren than the Ferrari.
"I don't even know how the circuit looks so it's difficult to say,"
Raikkonen said.
"What I heard is it might be not the best place for us but we will see. The
last three races can go either way, it will be close. In qualifying we have a
hard time against McLaren and in the race we can be stronger."
Felipe Massa finished second in Belgium to clinch Ferrari's second one-two
of the season and, in all likelihood, confirm them as winners of the
constructors' world championship.
McLaren have earned more points than Ferrari this season but unless the
British team decide to appeal their spygate' expulsion from the team
competition the Italian outfit, led by Frenchman Jean Todt, will take the
title.