Zoom Raikkonen maintains that the title race might still tip in his favour

As the 2008 season closes in on its final stretch, the Ferrari drivers will be racing in Singapore at the controls of recently updated cars. Both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa completed testing and shakedown sessions last week in Italy before heading towards Asia.

"We come to Singapore on the back of a profitable three-day test which saw us make progress with the F2008 package," said team principal Stefano Domenicali. "That should ensure we are competitive at the highest level over the remaining four races."

"The fight for the two titles will be very close," Domenicali pointed out, also revealing the mission orders given to Raikkonen and Massa last week: "Kimi and Felipe met President Montezemolo, who made it very clear that, as usual, Ferrari's simple target come the end of the season is to win both titles."

Massa is currently a single point behind championship leader Lewis Hamilton, while Raikkonen has fallen 20 points away from his teammate.

Despite the pressure to start supporting Massa's title bid, Raikkonen has insisted that he is not interested in doing so until his mathematical chances of winning a second world crown have been exhausted.

However, team boss Domenicali echoed Montezemolo's objective of aiming for both the constructors' and drivers' titles this year, suggesting that orders might soon be forthcoming.

"Both drivers will be working towards this target over the remaining four races, knowing that, as always for the Scuderia, the good of the team comes first," he stated.

Daniel BASTIEN
© CAPSIS International