Räikkönen still concerned over engine

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen has admitted there are still fears over whether the engine he used in Australia will make it through the forthcoming Malaysian Grand Prix weekend.

Raikkonen cruised to victory in the Melbourne season-opener, but not before a late water leak had caused the engine temperature on his F2007 to rise, prompting unease over its potential durability in the searing heat at Sepang.

"There is some concern,” Raikkonen told the official Ferrari website. “We had a slight leakage of water during the last part of the race and the team told me to slow down, writing 'Cool' on the sign next to the pit lane, as the radio didn't work because of a problem with a plug.

”The engine has since undergone checks and simulations tests back at the Ferrari factory. Armed with the resulting data, the team’s engineers will have to make a late call following Friday practice in Malaysia as to whether they risk using the engine, or swallow a ten-place grid penalty and substitute a fresh V8.

“Obviously we hope that the engine will make it through the whole weekend and that we don't have to change it before the qualifying,” added Raikkonen. “In case we had to change it, obviously it would be a bit different for us: everything would be much more difficult.”Raikkonen’s team mate Felipe Massa started from the back of the grid in Australia after the team changed his engine. The Brazilian subsequently fought his way up to sixth place.

(f1.com)