Kimi Raikkonen heads to Hockenheim hoping it will "all come together" this season as his bids to avoid his seventh German GP retirement.

The German GP has in the past proven to be Raikkonen's boogey track as the Finn begun his F1 career with five years worth of retirements at the Hockenheimring.

He added a sixth German GP DNF in 2009, his final season with Ferrari, although this time it was at the Nürburgring.

"I don't know, maybe I did something bad in a former life?" the 32-year-old said when asked what it was about Germany that 'hasn't been kind to you in the past.'

"I've always enjoyed driving in Germany, but the problem is that luck has never been on my side there and something has always happened to stop me winning.

"I've had four pole positions which shows my speed on German soil, but six retirements haven't been what I wanted."

Raikkonen's best result in Germany was the third place finished he achieved with McLaren back in 2006 while his only other points-finish was a P6 as a Ferrari driver in 2008.

Asked whether that was extra motivation to go for the victory, the Finn said: "Not really. A race is just a race and you always try to do your best.

"In the past, the races I've contested in Germany have never gone as I had been hoping for.

"Obviously both circuits - Hockenheim and the Nürburgring - have not been very kind to me. I like them both and I have always been very competitive there.

"Maybe it will all come together this year."

Heading to Hockenheim, Raikkonen, who has three podium finishes but no win, is fifth in the Drivers' Championship on 83 points, 46 behind Championship leader Fernando Alonso.

Kimi Raikkonen is hoping to finally end his wretched Germany jinx and provide Lotus with a much-needed and long-overdue victory.
In 15 races on German soil throughout his Formula One career, be it the German or European Grand Prix, Raikkonen has never won.
Ahead of next weekend's race at Hockenheim, and with Lotus still the only top team without a win this season, Raikkonen said: "I've always enjoyed driving in Germany. But the problem is luck has never been on my side there, and something has always happened to stop me winning."
Worse still is Raikkonen has chalked up nine retirements, which has even led the Finn to jokingly suggest he "maybe did something bad in a former life".
Raikkonen has managed two third places, in the 2002 European race and 2006 German GP during his days with McLaren, but that has been the best of a bad lot.
"I've had four pole positions, which shows my speed on German soil, but six retirements (specifically in the German GP) haven't been what I wanted," he added.
"Maybe it will all come together this year. We've a good car, we understand the tyres quite well, we've shown we can be fast and race well. There's no reason why we shouldn't be fighting for another podium."
Team-mate Romain Grosjean, however, will start the race on the back foot as he will serve a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change. The issue came to light on the final lap of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday after Grosjean had finished a superb sixth despite being last at one point early on.
Lotus technical director James Allison said: "It was a gearbox problem, and we are very fortunate Romain didn't have the problem earlier in the race.
"Unfortunately for Romain it means he'll take a five-place grid penalty at Hockenheim. But he certainly showed at Silverstone that dropping down the order won't stop him challenging at the sharp end."

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