Kimi Raikkonen is convinced Ferrari and McLaren will not have it all their own way this season.

The Ferrari driver and reigning world champion thinks there are three teams and six drivers in the running for the two championships.

"It's much too early to make any kind of conclusion as to who is who," said Raikkonen.

"We will have to wait a few more races to get the picture as to who are the main contenders for the title, but its going to be as tight as it was last year."

Lewis Hamilton and Raikkonen have shared the spoils in the first two races this season but the 29-year-old is aware that BMW Sauber are hot on their heels. BMW driver Nick Heidfeld was runner-up at Melbourne while Robert Kubica finished second in Malaysia.

"It's a battle between three teams instead of two because whilst Ferrari and McLaren might have won the first two races, let's not forget BMW have had two second places. So any slip up by Ferrari and McLaren and they will be there to pick up the points.
"This time you really have to fight for every point you get." Raikkonen said.

The Finland born driver knows he will need better luck going into the next race at Bahrain. Odds-on favourite to take the chequered flag, he has finished third in the last three races at the Sakhir Circuit.

"Time and again something has gone wrong, so Sakhir is now one of those circuits where I really want to win – finally," he said.

Ahead of the race on the circuit, Raikkonen describes as "one giant sandbox" Ferrari, along with Toyota, have the advantage; in February they tested on a circuit in a desert.

"I really like this circuit because it differs from the others, you feel like you are playing in a sandbox.

"Our test in February will do us no harm, although now it is different weather, different circuit and, obviously, our car is different, too."

[via Telegraph]