NEXT RACE - 7th September

Frustrated Kimi: The track is a joke

Sunday 8th June 2008

Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen was left frustrated by his team's disappointing qualifying session for Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix.

World Champion Raikkonen was almost a second slower than pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton, his chief rival and the current leader in the Drivers' standings, as the Finn claimed third place on the grid.

His team-mate Felipe Massa, twice a winner this season in Turkey and Bahrain, will start from sixth - as Ferrari blamed trouble in getting their tyres up to temperature during qualifying and the deteriorating track surface at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve's turn 10.

"The car has been good all weekend - even this morning it was very good - and then going into qualifying it was quite a joke with the circuit," said Raikkonen.

"It is always the same thing. the circuit breaks down - and you miss the corner because there is so much sand.

"It's unbelievable how much time I lost at Turn 10, lap after lap.

"The track was already beginning to break up in Q1, and I had no drive: it was like driving on ice, and I never managed to find the right line at this point.

"It's a real shame because the car was going very well, and I could have fought for pole position.

"I can't understand how things like this can happen - maybe it's down to the higher temperatures, or a repair job at this point not done properly.

"But one thing's certain; in the race tomorrow, it will be very difficult to get through here."

Raikkonen, however, is not entirely downbeat about his race prospects.

"The situation is not that bad," he said.

"We are quick, as could be seen all weekend long up to qualifying - and starting on the clean side of the track is definitely a good thing.

"We definitely can't claim to be happy with the result of qualifying, especially because it is not a true reflection of the potential we had."

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said: "There is no point in making a meal of it - because the race is tomorrow, and that's when the points are assigned.

"We are well aware that, especially at this circuit, 70 laps can be very long - and anything can happen.

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