While the summer rain fell outside, giving a taste of what can be expected this weekend, inside the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro media motorhome, Kimi Raikkonen had his first meeting of the weekend with the media. "I enjoy this circuit and I have a good record here," he said when asked what he expected from the ninth round of the world championship. "The test before France went well, but here the weather can affect things a lot, so we must wait and see how the weekend develops from that point of view. It is too early to say how we will go, but I can be optimistic after the test here. I think that, not only has the car itself improved, but it is now more how I like it to drive. I hope that will be a trend that continues for the rest of the season."

Asked whether he felt that, this season, it was more important to run with slightly less fuel on Saturday qualifying or carry more fuel for the first stint of the race, the Finn felt there was no firm answer. "It depends on a number of factors," he said. "The character of the track, how you feel in the car, the performance of the tyres and the speed of your rivals all affect this decision."

The driver's championship is still open with so many races still to go, but Raikkonen is realistic about his chances. "I hope that now after the win in France, we can be more consistent in terms of getting good results in the remaining races," he revealed. "It is true that I am quite a way behind those in front of me in the championship, but there is still a big part of the season to go, so my plan is to keep pushing and we will have to see where I end up at the end of the year."

On Sunday, Raikkonen will wear his Ferrari red suit for the first time in a race on British soil. What reaction does he expect from the crowd? "Usually, I get a good welcome from the fans here, but I have been driving for a British based team for the past years," he said. "But the English fans are knowledgeable and I know that Ferrari has a big following here too, so I expect the welcome I get over the weekend will be much the same as ever."