Kimi Raikkonen has tipped his friend Sebastian Vettel to pip F1’s class of 2011 to become world champion for the second time.<\/p>\n
In 2007, former Ferrari driver Raikkonen came from a long way behind to beat the feuding McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso to the championship at the final race of the season.<\/p>\n
Now as a F1 spectator and world rally driver, the Finn was asked by Turun Sanomat newspaper about German Vettel’s 85 point lead with just 8 races to go.<\/p>\n
“Quite often the situation levels off by the end if someone has pulled out early in the season,” Raikkonen said.<\/p>\n
“(But) Vettel probably doesn’t even have to win any more races in order to stay in front until the end.”<\/p>\n
Raikkonen, meanwhile, will turn 32 in October but he is not yet making any plans for 2012 — nor ruling out a shock return to formula one.<\/p>\n
“I don’t know,” he answered after a series of probing questions.<\/p>\n
“Even if you ask the same thing a hundred different ways, the answer stays the same.\u00a0 If I don’t know then nobody else does either.”<\/p>\n
Raikkonen, like his contemporary Jacques Villeneuve, admitted to being not so keen on the 2011 formula, including the DRS overtaking rear wing system.<\/p>\n
“It doesn’t have anything to do with real overtaking,” he insisted.\u00a0 “All you do is move close and push a button and the guy in front can’t do anything about it.<\/p>\n
“I guess they are trying to push it in the right direction, maybe it’s good for the TV, but for the drivers it’s not so good.”<\/p>\n
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