SILVERSTONE // Kimi Raikkonen admitted he feels like he is coming home as he aims for a second successive win at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. While Silverstone's sell-out crowd are likely to be cheering the local contingent of Lewis Hamilton, David Coulthard and Jenson Button, Ferrari's reigning world champion is hoping he can also be inspired on a track with which he has an affinity. Last year's victory remains fresh in his thoughts.
"I have always had such a good feeling in going to Silverstone," the Finn says. "It is a great place to race, and has been a good circuit for me since the beginning. "When I raced there for the first time in Formula Renault it became a real favourite because it is so fast and demanding and when you win at Silverstone it gives you such pleasure. You have to get everything exactly right. "I don't know what it is, but I always feel very nostalgic when I go there. It's like going home.
"We had a great race there last year, and obviously I would like the same result again." Raikkonen expects to be pushed hard by the McLaren-Mercedes of Hamilton, and his teammate Felipe Massa, whom he trails by five points in the standings. Ahead of today's two practice sessions at the Northamptonshire circuit he said: "Judging by the test it is going to be very tight between Ferrari and McLaren again.
"That is nothing new for me as both teams have always been able to build a good car for Silverstone. "It will probably come down to hundredths of a second again as we fight for pole, and we will have to use every inch of the circuit in our favour." Raikkonen has not won a race since the Spanish Grand Prix in April, but only a broken exhaust denied him victory in France earlier this month, where he was forced to settle for second behind Massa due to the problem.
He adds: "I missed out on winning, but I've put that behind me now, and I will go into the British Grand Prix in a very positive frame of mind as I should have won the race in France. "The team are doing all they can to ensure there is no repeat of what happened in the race there. I'll use a new engine because the team doesn't want to risk anything, although the rules say that you will not be punished if you have to change the engine."
@Email:akhan@thenational.ae
