Kimi Raikkonen is back in the driving seat and gives us his thoughts on how testing went for him, and how even the perfect amount of laps is never quite enough

Albert Park is upon us and testing didnt quite go to plan for you; how are you feeling at the start of the 2013 Formula 1 season?

We had some problems in testing but we still completed quite a few laps. Of course, you always want more laps, but it is what it is. Were all going racing and then well really see where were at. Im not really concerned about reliability or anything like that as it was the same problem which caused us the biggest problems in testing and were on top of that now. You can never be 100% certain of course, but if you look at last season we had problems before the start of the year then we were pretty good when we got to the races. Of course we hope that we can perform better than last year, but lets see how it goes.

Do you feel better placed to fight for the championship than last year?

Hopefully, but its so difficult to say from testing. Twenty kilos of fuel can make a big difference to lap time and we dont know how much fuel people were carrying in Spain. Lets see what happens in Melbourne. Hopefully we can be fast in the first races and have a good start to the year.

Youve said the E21 is a nice step forward from the its predecessor; is that across the board and in every area, or is there more you want from a racing car?

I think you always want more, but this car is a pretty good starting point and well see; hopefully were fast enough. I dont think theres any area where it feels worse than last years car; so far everything is better. We had good speed last year, but not enough to win the championship. That means we need more speed this year. If we can get just a little more from the car and keep our consistency, with some better results at the beginning of the year, then we should have a much better chance.

Its your second year with Lotus F1 Team; does that continuity help you and your feeling with the team and does it mean you are working well together?

It helps for sure, but if its going to make a difference, well I dont know. The fact that we know each other already will be betteryou know each other and what the other driver likes from their car and so onbut if this actually helps to bring better results to the team I dont really know.

What would you like to achieve in Albert Park?

Id like to start the season strongly and hopefully run the first races better than we did last year. We dont know exactly what to expect so well try to do the best we can; we should have a reasonable start to the season.

Youve had some good races in Australia; is it good to be starting the year there?

Australia is a nice place even though its a long way from Europe. The circuit itself is not the most difficult on the calendar. It was good to score a point on my first time at Albert Park, and the podiums and race win in 2007 obviously made me happy. The circuit hasnt changed at all so Im confident I know which way it goes

Do you think Albert Park could suit the E21?

Its always difficult to say for the first race of the year. Its not a full time race track so the weekend starts pretty slippery. The weather can be a bit of a surprise sometimes and well also learn how we compare to the other teams. You need a car with good traction and the E21 feels better in this area than the E20 which wasnt a bad car itself. Strong turn-in and stable braking help too, and those areas also feel good with the car so we are well placed.

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