Raikkonen: Bahrain same as any other race

The 2007 F1 drivers world champion Kimi Raikkonen on Thursday said he had no issues with weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix and was treating it just the same as all the other races. He said he had no worries about his safety, the event's security or the potential worry of protests - and would be concentrating on racing, winning points and finishing on the podium for his Renault team. The 32-year-old Finn, famed for his laid-back attitude, told reporters at the Sakhir circuit that, for him, it was the same as any other racing weekend. He said: "Bahrain? I have no issues with anything - it's the same as it was last I was here. Everybody is racing and I am okay with it. For me, it is just like any other race weekend. Nothing has really changed. I'm fine about the security." His was a common reaction among drivers keen to push worries about off-track commotion and civil unrest out of their minds in order to concentrate on their jobs. Few were willing to break ranks from a general comment that claimed they were placing their trust in the judgement of the sport's ruling body, the Intenational Motoring Federation (FIA). Raikkonen was keener to talk about the race and the effects of the warm and humid weather in Bahrain. He said there had been little he could do in Shanghai to prevent him falling from second place down to 14th due to tyre wear problems. "We didn't really want it that way, but what happened happened," said the Finn in his typical deadpan style. "We tried (a two-stop strategy), but we couldn't make it work. The tyres actually lasted pretty well, but it looks much worse when you have people with much fresher tyres behind. "We ran out though because we ran too long, not because the car was bad. Hopefully, it will be better for us to have hot weather than cold. "We'll see over the weekend, but I'm happier in this [temperature] than I was last weekend. Hopefully we can be up there and fight for good points and podiums. "We've tried to get good results, but its not been as good as we wanted so far. Small mistakes in qualifying can cost you a lot. "No one team is dominating and the races aren't straightforward and that makes it a bit more tricky. It also makes it more interesting, and hopefully gives us a better chance."