Highlights

Raikkonen regrets missed points

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-04-19 16:41

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, locked in a three-way tie for the Formula One championship lead, feels he should have won all three grands prix so far this season.

"Twenty two points are a good amount...but I think I could have got all the available points," the Finn, relaxing at home in Switzerland, said on Ferrari's Web site (www.ferrariworld.com).

"I am sure we can be stronger if we manage to optimise the performance of the car and I hope we start doing so at the next test session."

Only Raikkonen and McLaren's 22-year-old British rookie Lewis Hamilton, who also has 22 points along with double world champion and team mate Fernando Alonso, have stood on the podium three times this season.

Raikkonen won the Australian season-opener, from pole position, and was third in Malaysia and Bahrain after qualifying on the second row in both races.

"It can't be denied that the main problem is in qualifying," said Raikkonen, whose Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa won from pole position in Bahrain.

"Our race pace is good and we can go up against anyone but over the single lap we are not there yet," added the Finn, who moved from McLaren at the end of last year to replace retiring seven times champion Michael Schumacher.

"If you are not up with the front runners right from the start then you can say goodbye to the chance of winning".

The next race is Alonso's home event, the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on May 13.