Business as usual for Raikkonen despite win

Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen is not getting carried away by last week’s season-opening victory at the Australian GP, the Finn claiming preparations for Sunday’s Malaysian race have not been affected by the Melbourne win.

“We don’t really have a target on our backs and we are treating each race the same as we did last year,” the 2007 world champion told reporters yesterday.

“The fact I am leading the championship makes no difference to what we had planned to do this week. We will try to do our best and hope to score some points.”

Scoring points has become second nature for Raikkonen, who has finished in the top 10 in his last 18 races and this week returns to the scene of his maiden victory in Formula One in 2003.

However, any thoughts of misty-eyed memories clouding his vision were quickly quashed by the 33-year-old double Sepang winner.

“It’s not really a special place for me, of course it was nice to win my first race on this circuit but we should have won before then,” added Raikkonen.

“It is nice to come back here, the circuit is nice and I know the conditions here well. It usually provides a good race and hopefully we can enjoy a good weekend.”

The Melbourne win was mainly down to Raikkonen’s ability to manage the rapidly degrading Pirelli tyres better than his rivals in cold conditions, making the Malaysia race a step into the unknown due to its heat.

“Last year we were very good when the weather was hot but we haven’t been able to run in this car when the conditions have been intense,” he added.

“Winter training and Melbourne were cold so we have no idea, but if we are similar to last year we will be ok, we’ll have to wait and see.”