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Kimi
Raikkonen expects Ferrari to be very competitive at the Monaco
Grand Prix, as he reckons the Italian squad have taken a step
forward at slow tracks.
Last
year, the Maranello squad were unable to match the pace of rivals
McLaren at Monte Carlo, where Ferrari have not won since the 2001
season with Michael Schumacher. But following last week's test at
Paul Ricard, Raikkonen believes his team have made progress on
tracks like Monte Carlo and he is expecting Ferrari to be very
strong this time out.
"It
(the test) went very well," said Raikkonen, who arrived in
Monaco in the lead of the championship, seven points ahead of
Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa.
"We
tried a few new components and improved the set-up. The car is
stronger at this type of circuit - slow and bendy - compared to
last year. I think that Ferrari has made a big step forward in the
areas where we weren't strong last year. It's difficult to say how
it will go in the end. Ferrari will be very competitive, but
there's also McLaren and BMW. Having said that Monaco, can always
be good for a surprise; it's the most open of all the races this
year. Last year we only got one point here in Monaco. I wasn't
happy that day. But in the end it was a very precious point for me,"
added the Finn, who won the title by one point last year."
The
Ferrari driver insisted it will be crucial to avoid trouble during
Friday's practice in order to have a competitive weekend.
"In
Turkey we missed the most important practice session," he
said. "This time we hope that we can work without any
problems. Especially with everybody being so close, and especially
in qualifying is very important to set a fast lap. Overtaking is
almost impossible, so the car has to be set up really well. It
feels great to do a fast lap here in Monaco, but to do that you
need to be in the front. It's important to qualify well. In Monaco
this is a priority. I always try to get pole, because this is the
best option for the fight to win the race."
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