Raikkonen targets Malaysian podium

Kimi Raikkonen says he is confident of scoring his first podium since returning to F1 in this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix after picking up points in his maiden outing for Lotus in Australia.

The Finn suffered in qualifying at Albert Park and failed to make it past Q1, even though he came through the field to finish seventh and give Lotus its first point’s finish of the year.

Having managed to come from side to side the field on race day down under, Raikkonen said he was happy with the concert shown by the E20 and felt confident that he could he could fight for more during the second round of the year at Sepang.

“The car feels very good,” he said. “In the race I was wedged in traffic a lot so it didn't show so much, and who knows what strength have happened if we had a better grid a slot. There is a lot of speed in the car.

“We'll be trying to get better our performance in Malaysia for sure. We don't know how the car will behave there but it's been good everywhere so far so hopefully it'll be the same there. It'll be hot and humid which is a confront but we have a good car. As long as qualifying goes well we might be fighting for podiums. We'll have to wait and see.

“There's much more to come. We're learning concerning the car all the time and the last race didn't really give us the chance to use its full possible. Hopefully Malaysia will be a bit more straightforward.”

Raikkonen's seventh place stop in Australia came in his first F1 start since Abu Dhabi 2009, but the former Ferrari driver insisted he felt at home straight-away in spite of the changes that have taken place over the past two years while he has been competing in the WRC.

“To be honest it didn't feel any dissimilar to when I last raced,” he said. “There have been a few rule changes but the racing itself is very similar. The DRS is easier to use in the race than in practice or qualifying because there are only certain places you can set in motion it, whereas in the other sessions people will try to push the limits of how early they can use it which can easily lead to a mistake if you are too destructive.”

Raikkonen bids for 2011 Renault seat

Kimi Raikkonen is making a fresh bid to return to the Formula 1 next year after approaching the Renault team for a drive in 2011, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

Although it had looked likely that Raikkonen would remain in the World Rally Championship next year after his switch of discipline for this season, AUTOSPORT has learned that Raikkonen has renewed his interest in getting back to the grand prix racing.

Sources have revealed that in the wake of Renault's impressive form at the Belgian Grand Prix, Raikkonen approached the French car manufacturer with the intent of putting a deal together.

It is not clear, however, whether Raikkonen spoke to Renault himself or if it was done through his management team.

Raikkonen has always insisted that he would only come back to F1 if he was in a competitive car - and that is something that Renault now appears to be able to offer him.

But despite Raikkonen's credentials, Renault is in no rush to advance talks with him - and it is still holding on for current driver Vitaly Petrov to prove he can deliver what the team is demanding of him.

Renault team principal Eric Boullier confirmed that Raikkonen had approached the team - and is in contention for a seat alongside Robert Kubica in 2011.

"It is true that the summer has passed and we have had more and more requests - and the guy you mentioned [Raikkonen] is on the radar now," Boullier told AUTOSPORT.

"He is on the radar because he contacted us."

Boullier has long said that the team will keep Petrov next year if the Russian can improve his consistency throughout a whole race weekend - and not make silly errors like his spin in qualifying in Spa and blocking Timo Glock in qualifying at Monza.

When asked what Petrov had to do to convince Renault that he is a better option than Raikkonen, Boullier said: "He is not very far away to be honest.

"It is still very complicated for him to have a complete weekend and be faultless, and that is where he needs to work and focus on, and develop clearly his commitment and dedication."

One of the attractions of Petrov is the commercial possibilities he opens up in Russia, and Boullier said Renault would have to change its approach if it decided to take the Raikkonen route.

"It would be a different strategy for the team," he said. "And that is not a question of personality or having a world championship title - it will cost me more if he is world champion than if he is not. It is not a question of this - it is a different strategy.

"You work differently if you have a rookie - and in supporting him - than if you have two experienced drivers. So it is different.

"We need to think about it. But the priority is Vitaly, and to see how he will develop. If we are convinced then we will keep him definitely. This is the first option.

But there are several other options, and one of them is Kimi."

Boullier said he expected a decision on Renault's 2011 driver line-up to be made before the end of the season.