SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - Kimi Raikkonen only wants one present for his birthday this week - the Formula One title.

The Finn, who turned 28 on Wednesday, is one of the three drivers in contention for the title entering this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.

"I have no special plans to celebrate," Raikkonen said. "It is better just to focus on the race weekend. I just hope for one present for my birthday, and I hope to receive it after the race on Sunday afternoon."

The Ferrari driver enters the season finale three points behind Fernando Alonso and seven back of McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton.

He needs to win the race and hope Hamilton finishes sixth or worse, and Alonso third or worse.

Raikkonen acknowledges he is a long-shot to clinch his first title this weekend, but remains optimistic.

"I will start into this race the same way as into the last two," he said. "My aim is to win and the rest is not up to me. We have to win and that's it."  

The Finn has has won two of the last three races - including the Chinese Grand Prix two weeks ago.

"We just have to wait and see how it goes in Brazil," he said.

"I have been close to winning at Interlagos, but it has never quite paid off. I've finished three times second, which is not bad at all."'

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DISAPPOINTING SEASON: The 2007 Formula One season was discouraging for Renault, but team chief Flavio Briatore is confident the team will bounce back next year.

"It has been a disappointment,"' Briatore said heading into Sunday"s season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix. "But it has been a lesson for next season when we will come back even stronger.

"We started late with our 2007 car, and we had trouble adjusting to the Bridgestone tires," he added. "That left us on the back foot and we haven't caught up during the season."  

With just one race left, Renault is third in the constructors' championship with 51 points.

Looking ahead, Briatore said he was confident his team would develop a winning car.

"I see no logical reason why not," he said. "I have a good feeling that we can climb back to our normal position next year."

Renault won the last two drivers' championships with Fernando Alonso, who now drives for McLaren.

After praising his team's two drivers - Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen - he said he was not in any rush to announce who would be driving the Renault cars in 2008.

"There is no rush to make an announcement at this stage," he said. "When we are ready and we have made our decision, we will announce it. We are in a strong position with good options."

As for the possibility of signing Alonso, Briatore said: "Fernando has a contract with another team for 2008."

"I have said before that if he was free we would be happy to have him back at Renault."

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TOO SLOW: Rubens Barrichello is not too excited with the Brazilian Grand Prix despite being on his home track.

"My car is so slow that I don't even get tired driving it," the Honda driver said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Barrichello has had one of the most disappointing years in his 13-year career in Formula One, struggling from the back of the grid in most races. His best run so far was a ninth-place finish at the British Grand Prix.

He compared his season to his favorite soccer club in Brazil, Corinthians, which also is struggling and trying to avoid relegation in the Brazilian league.

"Let's see, is it harder for Corinthians to stay in the first division or for me to score a point (in Brazil)? It's a tough one."

If Barrichello fails to finish in the top eight on Sunday, it will be his first season without a point in Formula One since his debut with Jordan in 1993.

Despite driving for Ferrari for six years, he was never able to win the Brazilian Grand Prix.

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TOUGH RACE: Refusing to pick a winner for this year's Brazilian Grand Prix, Ferrari's Felipe Massa believes this year's race in Interlagos will be a tough one.

"During the season, we have seen that the difference between us and McLaren is very small," said the 26-year-old Brazilian who won last year's Brazilian GP. "On some tracks we were better, while on others they were better. All I am sure of is that the race in Interlagos will be extremely tough."

Since 1990, when the Brazilian Grand Prix returned to Sao Paulo, McLaren won six times in Interlagos while Ferrari won four times.

Earlier this week, Ferrari announced it extended their contract with Massa until the end of the 2010 season.

Massa replaced countryman Rubens Barrichello at Ferrari for the 2006 season, partnering Michael Schumacher in the German's last Formula One season.

To date, Massa has started 34 grand prix races for the team, winning five times and earning 16 podium places.