Raikkonen insists he still has hunger to race in F1

The Finn has not won a race since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix, and scored his best points haul since the 2012 season with 205 this year.

Raikkonen, whose contract expires at the end of 2018, will line-up alongside Sebastian Vettel next season with Ferrari aiming to produce a title-contending car for the second successive year.

In a clip from Motorsport.tv’s weekly programme The Flying Lap, Raikkonen says: “I wouldn’t be here or next year on the circuit [if] I didn’t have the hunger to win.

“I enjoy racing. I wouldn’t be shy to say it’s the only reason. I want to be in F1. So long as that [hunger] is there, it’s the reason why I’ll give my best.”

Raikkonen said a fast start next season will be key to Ferrari mounting a serious challenge to Mercedes, which has dominated F1 since 2014.

“We started the year a bit slowly,” said Raikkonen. “We had some good moments, but far from what we wanted if you take the whole year.

“We just need to put things correct for the first race. We have the speed, but there are so many things that have to be absolutely right.

“If you don’t get things perfectly, it will cost you a lot of points.”