Ferrari looking to Dump Kimi Raikkonen

Stefano Domenicali, the Ferrari boss, has given strong indications that Kimi Raikkonen's future with the team may be in doubt.

Raikkonen's contract with Ferrari expires only at the end of the season but rumours persist that Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso could replace him if his agreement is bought out.

Incidentally, Domenicali was full of praise for Felipe Massa, who easily outperformed Raikkonen last year, winning more races than the eventual world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Kimi Raikkonen: "I’d like to be at the top of the championship table"

After making a flying start to his new career at Ferrari by winning on his debut in Australia, the Finn has lost ground in recent races.

Raikkonen’s optimism, however, could be ill-founded as British sensation Hamilton is showing no signs of slowing down.

He was outgunned by the two McLarens of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in Malaysia, and since then has lost the initiative to Brazilian team-mate Felipe Massa, who won in both Bahrain and Spain.

To make matters even worse for Raikkonen, he failed to score any points in Barcelona as his Ferrari suffered a rare mechanical glitch.

However, he claimed that looking back at failure isn’t his style. "I’m not the type to go over what has happened and I’m not about to start now, " he explained. "That was part of racing and it is impossible to change what took place. Points have been lost and there is nothing to be gained in going back – we will only know the full effect of this retirement at the end of the season. Of course, I’d like to be at the top of the championship table, but there are still 13 races to go and I am only eight points behind (series leader) Hamilton. "

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Raikkonen and Ferrari have no differences claims Ferrari boss

Ferrari boss Jean Todt insists Kimi Raikkonen "is at ease" with the Maranello team despite his stuttering start to the season.

Victory on his Ferrari debut in Australia was followed by third-place finishes in Malaysia and Bahrain before retirement at the Spanish Grand Prix 10 days ago. Going into the race in Barcelona, Raikkonen had a shared of the lead in the drivers' championship but, ahead of Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix, the Finn is fourth behind McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso and team-mate Felipe Massa.

Yet Todt maintains Raikkonen is fast integrating himself into the ways and means of the team, while they in turn understand how the 27-year-old operates.

"Kimi feels very much at ease with the team and vice-versa," said Todt.

"He is a genuine and sincere person, and here he has found an open and co-operative atmosphere. Personally, I get on very well with Kimi.

"I have always liked him both as a driver, and in terms of the way he is out of the cockpit, always remaining the same in what is the difficult world of Formula One."

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Monaco F1 race excites Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen is looking forward to Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix, a race the Finn rates as the most important of the Formula One season.

The 27-year-old former McLaren driver won in Monte Carlo in 2005 and is hopeful of securing his second victory of the season this weekend.

"If I had to follow Formula One as a spectator and had to choose one race, I would have no doubt, I would go to Monte Carlo, " said Raikkonen.

"It is the most important amongst all the Grand Prix, with an extraordinary combination of the emotions during the race, the particularity of the place and the prestige, surrounding the event. "It must be as wonderful to watch this race, as it is to participate in it. Not so much as far as the race is concerned but more in terms of the challenge.

"Driving fast in a F1 car through these streets is the biggest challenge of them all for sure. I love challenges: the more challenging they are the more I'm attracted. I really can't wait to race this GP. "This is a very special place for me and I will never forget my success in 2005, in a race, which I think was one of my most beautiful ones.

"It will be the seventh time I am going to race here and the first time with Ferrari. As usual we will have lots of work to do, but I hope I can also pass some time with my friends and family.

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