Trainer: Raikkonen will cope with fast 2017 cars

Oct.2 - Kimi Raikkonen's trainer insists the Finn will be ready for the faster cars of 2017.

With Jenson Button's impending retirement, it will be Raikkonen - who turns 37 this month - who is clearly the oldest driver in formula one next year.

New chassis and tyre rules will make the cars several seconds per lap faster next year, so will Raikkonen need to adjust his training programme to be ready?

"We'll see," he told the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat at Sepang.

Raikkonen's trainer Mark Arnall, however, does not think the 2017 formula will bother his charge.

"If we were talking about the 100 metre sprint, then being 37 has an impact. But I think going back to faster cars will not change anything for Kimi because he has experienced it before.

"I don't see any reason why it should be difficult for Kimi to drive next year's cars," he added.

"He has never had physical deficiencies, and even now he is in very good condition even though the fitness requirements of the last few years has been lower," Arnall said.

"Of course, we will have to adapt the neck muscles for the higher downforce, but this will have nothing to do with the fact that he is now older."

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