Kimi Raikkonen has asked Ferrari fans to understand that the Maranello squad may not yet be ready to win again straight away, despite the major progress it has made in the past two races.
The Finn delivered the team’s first front-row start and podium finish of 2009 last time out in Monaco, where the resurgent F60 emerged as the closest challenger to the all-conquering Brawn BGP 001.
And with Felipe Massa having won the past three Turkish Grands Prix, Ferrari is being tipped for a potential first victory of the season in this weekend’s race.
A bullish Massa has talked up his chances of extending his Istanbul streak, but Raikkonen is more cautious about the Scuderia’s immediate prospects – pointing out that Brawn still has the upper hand in terms of car performance.
“Ferrari always went very well at the Turkish GP over the last three years, but this time Brawn GP is the great favourite, because they won five out of the six races so far,” he said.
“We’re closing the gap, but we’ve got to give it our all to get back in the lead.
“The Monaco weekend was a step forward as far as the result is concerned, but we have to be patient.
“I know that our fans want to see us winning immediately, but we have to be realistic.
“We’re closer, that’s for sure, and we’ll have some updates in Turkey; but we know that the others work hard too.”
Raikkonen expects the varied and undulating Istanbul Park layout to provide a good barometer of Ferrari’s current competitiveness, but thinks the F60 still lacks the downforce of its main rivals.
“Compared to Monaco, Istanbul Park is a more conventional track and we [will] have a more definite idea,” he said.
“I think that it’s the downforce we still have to make up ground compared to Brawn GP and Red Bull, but we’re heading in the right direction.”
While Jenson Button and Brawn appear to be romping away with the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, Raikkonen reckons they are not yet uncatchable – although he admits time is running short for any would-be challengers.
“Now, almost halfway through the season, I’m much more optimistic than I was at the start, especially with the steps we’ve taken in the last two races,” he explained.
“We know that there are further improvements coming up, which makes me think positive about the future.
“Who wins five out of [six] races at the start of the season is in an excellent position to winning the title, but the championship isn’t over yet.
“Everything can happen, although things have to change very soon.”