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"We still try to win races"
4th of October 2007

© FIA

Today it was the last time this season that Kimi Räikkönen was guest of a FIA pre race press conference. Ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai the Finn spoke about the championship, the mistakes from Japan and the important things for an F1 racing driver.

Question: Kimi, third and second places here over the last couple of years, what are your feelings about this track?

Kimi: It’s quite OK usually. I quite enjoy it. We will see how it goes this year but it doesn’t really change what has happened in previous years here.

Question: And the championship, your feelings about that?

Kimi: For sure it’s not a good position where we are, but we still try to win races and see what happens. It’s not really up to us any more, even if we win both races it’s probably not going to happen for us but it’s the only thing we can do, try to win and see where we end up.

Question: What are your feelings about the possibility of rain on Sunday – again?

Kimi: It’s the same for all the teams and drivers, so I don’t mind really. I think it was quite an exciting race last time in the rain, so for sure it makes it a bit livelier if it’s raining.

Question: Question to Kimi: how do you explain the many mistakes that Ferrari has been doing in the last race?

Kimi:  I don’t think that we made so many mistakes. We had a misunderstanding with the stewards or the FIA or whatever you call it and that’s only what really hurt us. That’s the only… I don’t know why you say we made so many mistakes.

Question: Kimi, I’m from China, so can you tell me what the important thing for an F1 racer is?

Kimi: To have good results, a good team. It’s pretty normal for us to always try our best and I’m not sure what’s most important but I think it’s probably having a good team behind you and a good environment in which to race.

Question: And the other question is for Kimi. The tyre selection was starting the race on the intermediate in Japan. Do you take the responsibility or was it a common team decision?

Kimi: It doesn’t matter whose it was, we took the decision as a team. We spoke with Bridgestone, we didn’t expect any more rain and we took the intermediate and for sure we didn’t take them because it was against the rules – at that point we didn’t know that. I guess before you ask me why we stopped so many times, why does it make any difference when we are last and second last behind the Safety Car. As long as we got more fuel in the car and didn’t lose any places it was good, so it wasn’t any mistake because we didn’t lose any places.

Question: For Kimi. You left McLaren and now they are going to win the championship. Any regrets?

Kimi: No.

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