Formula One news

Räikkönen ends Ferrari career outside top ten

Kimi Räikkönen's three years with the Ferrari team ended in a rather disappointing manner this weekend as the Finn, who was unable to steal Lewis Hamilton's top five place in the Drivers' Championship, came home eleventh in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Having started his run with Ferrari in perfect fashion by winning the 2007 Australian Grand Prix, Räikkönen rounded out his worst season since 2004 at Yas Marina, as his contract with the Maranello team is set to terminate one year early at the end of 2009.

"We knew we didn't have a car that was competitive here," he said after both Ferraris failed to score points for the first time since Singapore in September. "It was definitely not a good weekend but I don't think any of us have anything to reproach ourselves for; we did the most we could with the package we hard.

Räikkönen clinches his title for Ferrari at Interlagos in 2007

"At the start, the track was a bit slippery and that cost me a place to Kobayashi, who was very quick today. Then, when the two Brawns were back ahead of me after their first pit-stops, our race was definitely compromised and a points finish became impossible.

"It's a shame to end my time with Ferrari with this result but, this year, we have never been in a position to fight for the win at every race as I would have wished for."

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