Indeed, Raikkonen was delighted that his MP4-21 was quicker in Germany than it has been so far this year, making him confident that he can secure another strong result. He is particularly pleased to be returning to Hungary as it acts as his home grand prix, with more fans from Finland making the annual trip to Budapest than any other race.
“The MP4-21 was definitely quicker in Germany than the previous race, and it had great balance. We have made a step forward and I am looking forward to getting back out on track again this weekend and racing for another podium finish.
“The Hungarian race is like a home Grand Prix for me so I am always really looking forward to it, we get all the crazy Finnish fans that come down to watch the racing and I hope I can put in a great result for them. The car ran well in Monaco, so we will see.”
Pedro de la Rosa meanwhile never got a chance to improve on his seventh place finish from France in Germany, the Spaniard being compromised in qualifying by a clash with
Ralf Schumacher and then suffering a fuel pump problem on the second lap of the race, thus losing him, what he claims, a fourth place finish. Still, he is happy with the pace of the
McLaren and is eager to capitalise on it in Hungary.
“Of course for me it was a disappointing end to the race at Hockenheim, but the car felt really good and with the strategy I was running we could have been just behind Kimi at the end of the race,” he insists. “We get to race again already this weekend and hopefully I will be able to make the most of the pace we have found with the package.”
Ferrari – Michael Schumacher (#5), Felipe Massa (#6):
To say Michael Schumacher is on a winning streak is nothing new. However it is not often that a run of three victories come due to his unflappable desire to keep the prospect of an eighth world title within reach.
