JANUARY 20, 2002

McLaren team expects Raikkonen wrecks

THE McLaren team says that it is not expecting the coming season to be without a few crashes for new boy Kimi Raikkonen. The team has not a novice driver for a long time but many still remember the early years of Mika Hakkinen when more than a few chassis came back to the pits bruised and battered as the Finn found the edge.

Team boss Ron Dennis said that he thought Raikkonen is capable of winning races in 2002 but that there will probably be a few shunts as well. Raikkonen not only has to find his ultimate level but he has to make space for himself amongst the top men in the sport and that usually involves a certain amount of pushing and shoving as Juan Pablo Montoya showed last year with Michael Schumacher.