Kimi Raikkonen says Ferrari can still challenge for this year’s Formula One title despite the Scuderia entering this weekend’s British Grand Prix without any victory to its name in 2016.

Ferrari is trailing Mercedes by 103 points in the Contructors’ championship, while Raikkonen is level on points with team-mate Sebastian Vettel on 96, which leaves them 57 points adrift of Nico Rosberg with 12 races to go.

“I don’t see any reason why we cannot fight for the title as there are an awful lot of points still on the table,” said the Finn. “We hoped to be in a better position but this is where we are.

“We go to every race to try and maximise what we have and at the end of the year we’ll see where we end up. I’m sure we can win races this year and we’ll fight for the championship until it’s possible – that’s 100 per cent certain.”

The Silverstone event also marks an important milestone for Raikkonen, as the 2007 world champion prepares to make his 100th start for Ferrari.

The 36-year-old won the his sole F1 title the very same season he joined Maranello from McLaren. He then stayed until 2009 before returning for a second spell in Italy from 2014.

“Actually 100 races don’t sound like a lot but it’s a lot of years and it’s the best team in Formula One, in my view. It’s the most famous name in Formula One and to sum up my years, I won the title with Ferrari.

“We’ve had some good years, some difficult years, but to be part of a company like Ferrari doesn’t happen to everybody. I’m very happy to be part of Ferrari and, hopefully, for the future also. Hopefully we’ll get Ferrari back to where it belongs – at the top.”

Raikkonen's current contract expires at the end of the current campaign, with Ferrari's most recent F1 champion keen to prolong his stay with the team.

Chris Medland's 2016 British Grand Prix preview

From the cockpit: Felipe Nasr on back-to-back races

Technical analysis Austria

Scene at the Austrian Grand Prix

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Julien Billiotte

Recent Posts

Las Vegas GP: Hamilton leads Mercedes 1-2 in trouble-free FP1

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell led the field in a chilly but trouble-free first practice…

1 hour ago

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix Free Practice 1 - Results

Full results from Free Practice 1 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in the United…

1 hour ago

Aston Martin says performance shortfall led to Fallows exit

Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough has shed some light on why the team’s former…

11 hours ago

FIA clamps down on plank loophole after Red Bull complaint

The FIA has issued a pivotal Technical Directive to F1 teams ahead of this weekend’s…

12 hours ago

F1 drivers blindsided by race director Wittich’s sudden exit

The abrupt removal last week of FIA race director Niels Wittich with just three races…

13 hours ago

McLaren relaxes ‘papaya rules’: Norris and Piastri free to race

Oscar Piastri has confirmed that McLaren’s team orders—dubbed the "Papaya Rules"—have been largely relaxed, giving…

15 hours ago