Raikkonen: Four drivers in F1 title fight

Kimi Raikkonen expects both Ferrari and Mercedes drivers to be closely matched all season in a four-way championship battle.

After the opening three races, it appeared a two-horse race was emerging after Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton finished first and second in each of the first three races. Vettel had two wins and Hamilton one, but in Russia it was Valtteri Bottas who took victory, climbing from third place to beat the two Ferraris.

Raikkonen was just 0.059s off pole position on Saturday, and after securing his first podium of the season highlighted his fellow Finn's victory as proof the four drivers will be close all season.

"Happy for Valtteri," Raikkonen said. "People always think that we have something against each other because we have come close to each other and into each other a few times but no, I'm very happy for him to win. It doesn't mean that I'm not happy if Seb wins. It's good for him and things will turn out to be for sure good for him.

"It's going to be close between both of the Ferrari and both of the Mercedes drivers this year, so it will be exciting – but unfortunately a lot of times it will depend of what happens in a first lap. That's how it's going to play out. Hopefully it goes better. I'm more happy this weekend but obviously not happy to be third, but this is how it goes sometimes."

And Raikkonen says it is a number of small improvements that led to his improved form in Russia.

"I think I have had a little bit of a rough start to the season," he admitted. "Far from ideal but for sure [Russia] has been a step forward. We have been more happy with how things have been running but we still only finished third. We lost out at the start and then not a lot happened after that.

"We keep trying and keep improving and I'm sure we'll get there, but it's all about ... all the small details have to be exactly there and then you will get the first place. The four or five of us are very close most of the time, so it's the small differences that make a big difference in the end."