In difficulty with his F14-T, Räikkönen has the support of Ferrari
The Finnish driver, trailing behind his teammate, hopes for improvements to his car. A situation that does not overly concern the 2007 world champion, who enjoys the support of his team.
Kimi Räikkönen would have liked to start the season under better circumstances. His F14-T gave him trouble throughout the weekend in Melbourne, forcing him to adjust his driving. The issues were mainly related to braking and corner entry, problems that were exacerbated during the race by graining on the front tires, leading to repeated wheel lock-ups.
Even though the Finn remains confident, he admits that things are unlikely to improve immediately: “I have been in this situation in the past and I know that it can take time. We more or less know what we want to do but everything doesn’t happen overnight. It may take time to produce certain parts or to put things in place,” he stated to our colleagues at *Autosport*.
After a seventh place in Melbourne, Räikkönen looks ahead to the upcoming events and remains positive: « It’s not the result we wanted but it could have been worse. I’m sure we can only get better. »
The 2007 world champion can in any case count on the full support of his team, assures Stefano Domenicali, director of Scuderia Ferrari: “We need to help Kimi solve his car balance issues, he deserves it. There have been improvements this weekend, but we are still not where we would like to be. We are a team and we must ensure that we do everything possible to help Kimi drive at his best. I am sure it will be much better in Malaysia.”
The braking difficulties were numerous this weekend, as evidenced by all the sessions during which the drivers frequently ran off the track. The “brake-by-wire” technology, which allows the brakes to operate electronically, is new and also needs to be understood by the teams.
Reminder: Fernando Alonso secured the fourth position at the [Australian Grand Prix](https://www.f1/actualite/17101-australie-course-rosberg-domine-devant-red-bull-et-mclaren.html). The Malaysian Grand Prix, the second round of the Formula 1 season, will take place from March 28 to 30.
