Q: Kimi, let's start with the obvious: you have been confirmed for another year. Does that make things easier?

Kimi Raikkonen: For sure it makes things easier. Because people will stop asking the same question over and over again! And that makes a huge difference. (laughs) It also gives me pleasure that it is disappointing a lot of people who had high hopes. So it was good that there was a decision now and not towards the end of the season, because from now on we can fully concentrate on the remaining 2016 season and the changes for 2017. The rest - the racing and working with the team - doesn't really change. Of course I am very happy to stay with Ferrari. Also I am interested to experience the changes of 2017. Faster cars and wider tyres - that sounds pretty good to me.

Q: Coming to today, what do you make of the gap to Red Bull and Mercedes?

KR: Well, it is not ideal. But the conditions have also been pretty tricky. There was simply not enough speed and with the wind that is here we probably knew that we would suffer a bit. I hope the race will be much easier, at least concerning the wind.

Q: And what about your gap to Sebastian Vettel - more than half a second. What do you make of that?

KR: Ah, I don't make anything out of that. I know that the media jump on things like that. But for me it is completely irrelevant. If it would be about pole position and P2 I probably would waste a thought on it. But it is about P5 and P6 - and that is not worth thinking of.