Kimi Raikkonen has said that Ferrari cannot expect to fix its problems in a matter of weeks, and must instead focus on a long-term plan.
The Finn joined the team at the beginning of the year, and, alongside Fernando Alonso, he was tasked with returning the team to the front of the grid in 2014. However, he has scored just 17 points, and currently lies 12th in the drivers’ standings.
“We have issues, and we are not as fast as we want to be, and we just have to fix them obviously,” Raikkonen explained. “We would be happy [if] we were winning races, and we’re not, so it’s those things that we have to fix.
“It’s many small things, and when we fix those we’ll be where we want to be. It’s a long process. It won’t happen in three weeks. I think we’re never happy until we’re winning races and championships. There’s always things you can fix.”
When asked whether he thought he could win a grand prix in 2014, the Finn was blunt: “I have no interest in start guessing here. Hopefully we’ll improve.”
Of course, the sport is currently being dominated by Mercedes, and Raikkonen does not see that changing in the near future.
“It’s very hard for anybody to challenge them [Mercedes] for the championship,” he said. “I may be wrong, but that’s how it goes. In the past, you’ve seen it can all change. Our aim is to fix the things that we think is the issue and get better all the time, and do the best that we can do racing.”
Raikkonen won the race back in 2005, and finished on the podium one year later. His record around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is impressive, scoring points in all but one of his races there, and he will be hoping to finish in the top ten once again this weekend.
