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Raikkonen Optimistic About 2009 Season

Kimi Raikkonen hasn't had a great season so far, but he can still make himself useful for the team in the last race of the year. Ferrari are very much alive in the constructors' title race, holding a 9-point advantage over rivals McLaren Mercedes before the season' finale. Nevertheless, the reigning world champion urged the Scuderia to learn from this year's mistakes and step up their game in 2009.

“There are not so many positive things for me I achieved over the last season. We have to analyze every single detail of what happened and try to learn from our mistakes to improve everything for next year. There will be several new rules for the next season and we will have to work a lot during the winter. I couldn't win the drivers' title this year, but I assure you that I'll try again next year,” said Raikkonen.

The Fin was battling McLaren's Lewis Hamilton for the top spot in drivers' classification in the mid-season, but a loss in form during the following months threw him out of the title race for good. Team orders have now made him play the lieutenant role to teammate Felipe Massa and Raikkonen is very much aware of his mission before Interlagos. He insisted that his last two podiums – Fuji and China – have given him a boost in morale for the season-ending race.

“Now we have to give it all at the last race of the 2008 season. Over the last two races I had a much better feeling with the car in Q3, when I had a bigger fuel load. It's important to believe in the car and the possibility to attack, this is what makes the difference. I hope that we can find the right set-up, after we've been very close for a couple of times,” added the Ferrari driver.

Both Raikkonen and Massa were confirmed in Ferrari's lineup for the upcoming season, despite rumors that double-champion Fernando Alonso could step in as early as next year. Massa is still chasing his dream of becoming F1 champion this weekend, having to make up for a 7-point ground to leader Hamilton.

As for next season's prospects, the Scuderia seems to be moving in slow motion in developing their new KERS unit, officially admitting that they are very much behind the competition in terms of testing the new technology during the winter break.
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