Mar.25 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen needs to put in more effort if he wants to return to contention for world championships, a former teammate of the Finn claims.
David Coulthard partnered the now 29-year-old Ferrari driver at McLaren between 2002 and 2004.But the Scot, who retired as a race driver and this week touched down in Melbourne for his new role as a TV pundit and Red Bull advisor, believes Raikkonen let his game slip last year.In 2008, Raikkonen was outclassed by his Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa, ultimately trailing the title runner-up by 22 points."Massa has proved himself a world-class driver and Raikkonen should be there, but we saw a chubby, lazy driver, slightly lethargic-looking, last year," Coulthard told the Daily Star."I think it could go either way with him. Has he still got the hunger? He's a supreme talent, but he's not putting the effort in," the 37-year-old added.Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali this week said 2009 is an "important season" for Kimi, who seems "motivated and thinner -- three kilos (lighter) they tell me".