F1: Only first place matters, says Raikkonen

Finnish driver hopes car upgrade will improve position.

YEONGAM: Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen said he would rather finish fourth in the Formula One world championship than end up second or third because then he can skip the official prize-giving gala in December.

The 2007 world champion with Ferrari is third in the current drivers’ championship standings after 15 of the 20 races but he made it clear yesterday that first was all that really counted.

“It doesn’t matter if I am second or 10th, it makes no difference,” said Raikkonen ahead of Sunday’s Korean Grand Prix.

“I’d rather be probably out of second and third place so I don’t have to go to the prize-giving. It makes no difference to be second or fifth if you don’t win.”

Fourth-placed Lotus have brought significant updates to the race, including a new exhaust layout, hoping to cut the gap on Ferrari in third place.

Raikkonen said only time would tell if the upgrade would work.

“Until we run anything, we do not really know what the upgrade is going to bring us. Hopefully it works as we expect and it will improve our position a lot and help us achieve better results inthe race.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2012.