Raikkonen bids to re-ignite title charge

KIMI RAIKKONEN says he cannot afford to lose any more ground in this year’s four-way scrap for the Formula One world title.

Raikkonen, third quickest in second practice yesterday, has seen a seven-point lead disintegrate into a seven-point deficit in the space of two races after trailing home ninth in Monaco and failing to finish in Montreal.

The Finn’s accident in Monte Carlo was all of his own making as he lost control of his Ferrari late in the race before ploughing into Adrian Sutil’s Force India, sending him out of the points. A fortnight later, Raikkonen was the innocent party as McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton drove into the back of his parked car in the pit lane.