Thursday 10 April at 11:45 : Kimi Raikkonen struggled through the Bahrain grand prix weekend in more ways than one, according to reports.

The reigning world champion was off-colour at Sakhir, as he was outperformed all weekend at the desert venue by his Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa.

The Finn, 28, argued that he simply did not get the setup of his Ferrari right, and it is true that he is not a fan of the Bahrain layout.

But the Swiss publication Motorsport Aktuell claims that Raikkonen also struggled physically, with an ear infection.

Kimi also encountered a dose of bad luck, when Ferrari's novel new pitstop lights system - which has replaced the more common 'lollipop man' - didn't function well during his first stop.

At recent races, a series of LED lights, mounted horizontally on the team's pitlane gantry, informs the Ferrari drivers when it is time to exit the pits.

The 'green' light is apparently triggered automatically with the removal of the fuelling hose.

"There was a problem with the system, so it took a bit longer, but it didn't change much," Raikkonen insists.