By Pablo Elizalde Monday, May 28th 2007, 10:29 GMT
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen can't afford any more mistakes if he wants to have a chance to fight for this year's title, according to world champion Fernando Alonso.
The Finnish driver left Monaco 15 points behind Alonso in the standings after scoring just one point at the principality.
Raikkonen had to start the race from 16th place after he damaged his car during the second qualifying session on Saturday, meaning he didn't make it to Q3.
The Ferrari driver, who was tied at the top of the standings prior to the Spanish Grand Prix, has seen Alonso score 16 points in the last two races while the Finn himself has scored just one following his retirement in Barcelona.
Alonso believes Raikkonen is still capable of fighting back, but he has warned the Finn that he can't afford any more mistakes.
"Being fifteen points behind he's entering a risk zone," Alonso was quoted as saying by AS newspaper. "The next mistake will leave him out (of the championship fight). He's still in the battle, but he's risking losing touch.
"(Felipe) Massa is a bit closer, and I prefer to fight for the title with my own teammate, because then we will be fighting in equal conditions, not with a Ferrari, which you don't know how strong it will be. "
The Spaniard also reckons that he will be champion if he can continue scoring as consistently as in the first five races of the season.
"It's a crucial phase," he added. "I always said the my and the car's full potential will come in the second half of the year, and the team will progress a lot. The positive thing is that we have been pretty strong in these five first races and, in theory, the best is yet to come in the last six or seven races.
"I have 38 points in five races, and I if I achieve the same in the next five, I'm going to win the title. I want to repeat those results so I have 76 points by the tenth race."
Alonso is tied on points with teammate Lewis Hamilton, but the Spaniard leads thanks to having scored two wins.
