Photo credit: Lotus F1 Team
Kimi Raikkonen has revealed that he is still eager to succeed in Formula One.
Raikkonen returned to the sport in 2012 after a two year absence and sits third in the world championship.
Lotus confirmed on Monday that the Finn will race on for the team into 2013, with Raikkonen still hungry for success.
"This season has shown me that I still love racing as much as I ever did. Obviously, I would have not come back to the sport if I did not feel like this. Driving a Formula 1 car still gives me the same inspiration and I feel the same passion for it", he said.
"I think there were a few people who had doubts about how I would perform after being away for a while. Personally, I didn’t feel I stopped racing at all. I may have been doing something different with rallying, but after coming back to Formula 1 I immediately felt fit enough – and fast enough – to start racing again", he added.
"My hunger for winning is exactly the same as always and I think I’ve shown that I’m capable of fighting for victories. Obviously there have been none so far this year, but we have come close a few times and for sure we’ll keep on trying for as long as it takes to start winning again".
Raikkonen revealed he is happy with the way the team works and is confident of greater success in 2013.
"I have been very happy with the team; how they work, how they approach the races and how they invest in developing the car. I think with the progress behind the scenes at Enstone we could be fighting for the podium even more often next year and also be able to make a stronger challenge for the Championship", he said.
"We have proven as team that we can build and develop a strong and reliable car. This year has been a good platform to put down strong foundations for what will hopefully be an even better season next time around. We know what we need to do to improve in some important areas, which should help us get even better results next year. All in all I’m looking forward carrying on working with the team to achieve more good things in 2013".
The 2007 world champion also added that he must improve on his qualifying efforts in 2013, with Saturday form frequently limiting Sunday success.
"Of course, the main thing is to do my very best every time, every weekend, every race. I think to be able to perform better in the races I have to find more from myself and from the car in qualifying. This season has shown that you have to be on first two rows to be able to win every time. It’s important to improve our grid positions for 2013. That’s one of main targets for me".
