Raikkonen hoping for hot German weekend

Kimi Raikkonen is keeping his fingers crossed that forecasts of bad weather for this weekend's German Grand Prix are wrong, as he prays for the hot weather that will allow his Ferrari to shine at Hockenheim. The F2008 is widely believed to be much gentler on its tyres than main championship rival McLaren's MP4-23 - meaning it should not only be more consistent over race distances but also will not suffer too much tyre degradation when temperatures are high. However, on the flipside, it means the more aggressive MP4-23 is better able to get heat into its tyres over one lap - and can be stronger when the temperatures are cooler. That is why Raikkonen wants Hockenheim to be as warm as possible – even though forecasts are for showers throughout the weekend. "I hope it will be hot, as it usually is at Hockenheim," said Raikkonen... [read full story]