Raikkonen hits out at the McLaren drivers

The Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen believes he could have won last weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.

SHANGHAI // Kimi Raikkonen has accused the McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen of costing him a win in last Sunday's race in Japan. The Ferrari driver firmly believes he could have ended his winless run but for the first corner incident at Fuji that saw him forced off the track. He was forced to run wide from first place as both pole sitter Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen out-braked themselves going into the first corner.

Reflecting on what unfolded, Raikkonen said: "The start went well, and I was ahead of the rest, just like we had planned. "But when you turn into the first corner in front of everybody else, you should be there when you come out of it. "I have no idea what the drivers behind me were thinking. They braked so late it was impossible to avoid the following chaos. "It was an inexplicable mistake by the two cars from McLaren who actually expelled me from the fight for victory at the Japanese Grand Prix.

"If I had managed to get unharmed through the first corner, I could have won. "But instead of leading I was again stuck behind slower cars, and although we gave it our best, we didn't have the possibility to race with a free track." Raikkonen, who turns 29 today, is now 21 points behind Hamilton in the title standings and is now out of the world championship picture, and is expected to help teammate Felipe Massa now.

"It's true Sunday's result was a 'sayonara' to the drivers' title," the world champion added. "Although I knew after Spa [Belgian Grand Prix] there wasn't much hope left. "I should have won then, and I could still have decided my own destiny, but after the retirement it was just a question of time. "From January I can tell you I have given it my best to win the title again. "Now I'll try it again next year. I know how to become a world champion."

* PA Sport