Kimi Raikkonen has insisted that he is still driving at the same level as he was a decade ago, having been questioned about his future in Formula 1.
Raikkonen has not won a race since returning to Ferrari for the 2014 campaign, during which period he has played second fiddle to Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.
Raikkonen is the fifth-most experienced driver in history, having entered 284 Grands Prix, and would turn 40 during the 2019 campaign, should he be retained by Ferrari.
When asked for how much longer he can compete at the sharp end of the grid, Raikkonen replied: “I don’t feel that I drive any differently from 10 years ago.
“I drive pretty well, at least in my own books and that’s enough for me.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t feel that I can drive as well as I feel that I should. That’s kind of my tool to decide when it’s enough.
“Who knows? Maybe I will wake up one morning and I don’t know how to drive fast anymore. I don’t think there is a time. It’s more feelings and how do you feel yourself, doing good or bad.
“Obviously the speed, people always said the speed would disappeared but until this day it hasn’t disappeared for me.
“Like I said, maybe there’s one morning when I’ll wake up and it’s just not there. It could be like that but I don’t think you can just put a date, say you turn this or that age and that’s it, it’s just not there. “If you have it, you have it, if not – that’s it.”
Raikkonen also added that Ferrari does not feel any increased pressure heading into its home race in Italy this weekend.
Ferrari has taken five wins this season and its package has been tipped to suit the high-speed Monza circuit as it bids to end Mercedes’ recent dominance at the event.
“I don’t think there’s any more pressure, the pressure is that we want to do well, ourselves, our team,” he said.
“It’s the normal pressure that we put in ourselves, something that we want to achieve.
“It was best one week, it might not be in the next weekend, it’s that close that small differences that dictate who’s fastest that weekend, or in the race. If you don't get everything right you might not win.
“It’s very close and it changes from circuit to circuit, some suit a car better than the other.
“You’re talking small differences that change the end result. We can only do our best and see where we end up on Sunday.”
