Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium - Kimi Raikkonen will be hoping to get the defence of his Formula One title back on track at Sunday's Belgium Grand Prix, a race he has dominated in recent years. Raikkonen has been overshadowed by his Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa and lies third overall behind leader Lewis Hamilton as the drivers go from the streets of Valencia two weeks ago to one of the fastest and most demanding circuits of Formula One.
Spa-Francorchamps is the longest circuit on the F1 calendar at more than seven kilometres and has plenty of long straights and fast corners through the forested hills of the Ardennes to make it a firm favourite for most of the drivers.
Raikkonen has some catching up to do as he is now 13 points behind McLaren-Mercedes driver Hamilton (70 points) and seven behind Massa with only six races left of the season.
The Finnish driver has not won a race since April and has been behind Massa on the grid for the last three races in Germany, Hungary and the European Grand Prix in Valencia two weeks ago.
It has led to speculation that Ferrari are lining up former double world champion Fernando Alonso to replace him next season, something denied by Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.
Raikkonen was unfortunate in Valencia to be forced out with engine failure, in what is a worrying development for the team in view of a similar blow-up affecting Massa's car in Hungary.
However Raikkonen said he was looking forward to returning to Spa, a circuit which has always seemed to suit him. He won the last three editions here, in 2004, 2005 and 2007 when Belgium returned to the calender after a one-year absence.
"The Belgian Grand Prix is one of the highlights of the season and I usually obtain a good result at Spa," he told the Formula One website.
"I need it more than ever after the results of the last races. The last race for example was one of those one should forget as fast as possible.
"I have only good memories of this race. Obviously it would be fantastic to win it for the fourth time in a row. Considering that I haven't won a race in several months, a success would help me to get back in the race for the title after the disappointment at Valencia."
Massa, who was second behind Raikkonen in both qualifying and the race at Spa last year, said: "Like most of the drivers, I think this is the best circuit on the current calendar and I love the track.
"It's always nice to be at Spa and I have good memories of last year, when we had a competitive car and the team got a one-two finish.
"I hope we can repeat that performance and have a car that is good enough to keep ahead of the McLarens, which of course is our main target at the moment."
Hamilton meanwhile insisted he was happy enough with his second place in Valencia, and the signs are the 23-year-old Briton is taking a more strategic approach to his aim of a first Formula One title.
Last season he lost a 17-point advantage in the season's closing spurt, to finish a point behind Raikkonen, but experience has taught him that going all out for victory in every race is not always wise.
"I'm playing a long game," Hamilton said on his website after the Valencia result.
"Clearly, I want to win all the time, but I have learned that sometimes it's more advantageous to score as many points as possible and live to fight another day.
"My aim is still to win the world championship and you don't do that by ending up in the barriers after making an opportunistic move."
Hamilton also lists Spa as one of his favourite circuits.
"Even before I first came here, which was back in 2002 for a Formula Renault race, I played it on my computer - it was always one of the best tracks," he said.
"It has probably the most exciting corner in Formula One, Eau Rouge, and it's one of the few circuits where you really feel like you are actually going somewhere.
"You blast off into the forest and get to the top of the hill and can feel the whole circuit beneath you. It's one of the best challenges in Formula One."
