Nationality Finnish Team West McLaren Mercedes Car McLaren Mercedes MP4-17D Technical director Adrian Newey
STATS	2003	CAREER
Rank	2	2*
Wins	1	1
Podiums	10	13
Top 8	13	27
Best finish	1	1
DNFs	3	20
*Indicates career best points finish

2003 recap
The good: Kimi Raikkonen scored his first career grand prix victory in 2003, and he challenged Michael Schumacher for the title right up to the final race. Raikkonen showed a lot of speed and maturity on his way to 10 top-three finishes

The bad: The engine on his West McLaren Mercedes MP4-17D expired while he was comfortably in the lead of the European Grand Prix. He made mistakes in qualifying and started from the back in Spain and Canada, and that cost him valuable points. The championship is won or lost over 16 races, of course, but considering he was only two points behind Schumacher at the end of the season, these three races are glaring errors indeed. McLaren overstretched itself by trying to develop the MP4-17D and the never raced MP4-18.

Key stat: Raikkonen finished on the podium 10 times in 2003, which was more than any other driver. Juan Pablo Montoya had nine podium finishes and Michael Schumacher eight. Schumacher had six wins to Raikkonen's single victory, but the new points system kept things close right up to the final race.

2004 outlook
It's going to be tough because the new Williams BMW is looking quick in winter testing, so Raikkonen and McLaren Mercedes will have a real fight on their hands. Ferrari and Michael Schumacher won't dominate like they did in 2002, but they will still be in the thick of it in 2004.

	Kimi and Jenni.

What needs to be done: Raikkonen can't make any major driving errors and the car has to be consistently reliable. It's going to be so close between the big three teams that any mistake could be the difference between winning and losing the championship. McLaren still refuses to say if Raikkonen or David Coulthard will partner Montoya in 2004, though it's been reported that it will indeed be Raikkonen, as expected. On the small chance that his job is indeed in jeopardy, Raikkonen needs to impress and reassure his employers.

Guarantee: Stability is the key to success in F1, and only Ferrari is more stable than McLaren Mercedes at the moment.

Prediction: The tire war between Michelin (McLaren Mercedes, Renault and Williams BMW) and Bridgestone (Ferrari) will play a decisive role in who wins the championship.

Did you know: Kimi's girlfriend Jenni is a former Miss Scandinavia.

Your take
Will Raikkonen win the championship this year? Will his main competition come from Ferrari or Williams BMW? Share your thoughts on Raikkonen's prospects for 2004.