Raikkonen kept faith despite dip in form

FERRARI driver Kimi Raikkonen has insisted he never lost confidence in himself despite the criticism he was receiving prior to Sunday’s French Grand Prix victory.

Following his switch from McLaren over the winter, Raikkonen began the season in superb fashion with a win in the opening race of the year in Australia.

Although two third-place finishes followed in Malaysia and Bahrain, the Finn then struggled for form as he failed to even make it onto the podium in the next four grands prix.

After Malaysia, Raikkonen also finished behind team-mate Felipe Massa in four of the following five races, with the Brazilian black-flagged in the other.

Prior to the race in Magny-Cours, even Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo claimed he had yet to see “the real Raikkonen” — the driver others feared.

Raikkonen finally conjured up his second win for the Maranello team in France, much to his “relief” as Ferrari claimed their first one-two for 15 grands prix.

“The situation in the championship remains difficult, but it was a great result for the whole team,” said Raikkonen.

“While I’ve never had the slightest doubt I had lost my qualities as a driver, and I’ve never lost the faith or the motivation.

Meanwhile Red Bull driver Mark Webber says Lewis Hamilton has been helped in his stunning start to his Formula One career by the new tyres used this year,

The Australian says more experienced drivers have been hampered by adapting to the new Bridgestone control tyres.

“It has been very difficult for the guys who are seasoned campaigners to get used to these tyres,” Webber said.

“The cars are vastly different but that final feel for us in terms of the confidence in the car is the tyres.”

Webber describes this as one of a “few little subtleties that have helped Hamilton along the way.”