APRIL 17, 2013

Raikkonen not complaining about Pirelli

Kimi Raikkonen has refused to join the chorus of criticism of this year's Pirelli tyres.

Currently just three points shy of leading the 2013 world championship, the Finn won the season opening Australian grand prix and finished second in Shanghai.

In China, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton said making Pirelli's soft tyre last more than just a few corners was "almost impossible".

"But everyone has the same (challenge) ... except for this guy," he said, turning to Lotus' Raikkonen.

"He seems to be able to look after them a little bit better than most people," Hamilton added.

Indeed, Raikkonen said he doesn't know what all the fuss is about regarding Pirelli's supposedly-disintegrating 2013 tyres.

He said before this weekend's Bahrain grand prix: "It's never perfect. You can't always push 100 per cent.

"(But) it's not really any different from last year ± at least for us anyway ± so I don't really understand why people are complaining."

(GMM)