Raikkonen: We have the speed...

Having figured in the press for all the wrong reasons during the winter, Kimi Raikkonen will be looking to let his driving do the talking when the new F1 season gets underway in Melbourne next weekend.

Tabloid reports about the behaviour of the young Finn have somewhat overshadowed his preparations for the 2005 season, with the new McLaren looking likely to be much more competitive than the MP4-19 it replaces.

With Juan Pablo Montoya replacing David Coulthard, McLaren are expected to be among the leading challengers to Ferrari at the front of the field, and Raikkonen said he was confident that the team will be quick from the off at Albert Park.

"I am really looking forward to the new season in Australia," he said. "Everyone within the team has been working flat-out on the test track and back at base in preparation for 2005. The team is motivated and we are all excited to be getting back to racing.

"The coming weekend will be the first time we will be racing with the new regulations for tyres, engines and qualifying. We will have to take more care of our Michelins, particularly during second qualifying and the early parts of the race, to make sure you don't damage them under braking for example, which can lead to flat spotting a tyre, with the consequence of losing grip.

"The tests during pre-season were productive, the speed is there and the car is easy to drive, but it is impossible to say where we are until Australia. What we do know is that it will be an interesting year."