'Raikkonen is a great successor to Schumacher'

Abu Dhabi: Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo described new Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen as being a "great successor" to Michael Schumacher.

Speaking to Gulf News during the Foundation Stone-laying ceremony for the Ferrari Theme Park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, Montezemolo said: "Kimi is fantastic. It was the first season for us without Michael Schumacher, so it was always going to be difficult.

"I took him on and he has proved to be a great successor to Michael in his very first season at Ferrari."

Raikkonen achieved what seemed all but impossible in the season finale in Brazil two weeks ago when he overcame a seven point deficit to secure a one-point victory over McLaren teammates Fernando Alonso Lewis Hamilton.

Raikkonen, who had won two more races than anyone else during the season, won the championship with 110 points, with Alonso and Hamilton tied on 109 points.

Despite the incredibly narrow margin of victory Montezemolo said he was always confident that Ferrari would clinch the title.

'Not a surprise'

"It was not a surprise. It was a very difficult season for us, but it was fantastic to win both the titles - drivers, constructors," he said.

"In the last nine years we have won seven titles - no one in motoring history has won so many titles."

Under Montezemolo Ferrari won the World Drivers Championship in 2000, for the first time since 1979. The previous year they had won the constructors championship for the first time since 1983.