The 2007 world champion tweaked his left wrist during an event in Austria.

“You can watch what happened on YouTube and it was probably the smallest and slowest crash I’ve ever had. It is almost embarrassing,” Finn Raikkonen laughed just before Christmas.

In an interview with Finland’s Turun Sanomat, the 32-year-old’s trainer Mark Arnall admitted that Raikkonen’s fitness programme had to be “slightly changed” due to the Lotus driver’s “painful wrist”.

“The neck and legs (training) continued completely and we have made good progress,” said Arnall, whose client has not turned a lap in a F1 car since late 2009.

“Kimi is in good shape,” he declared.

Raikkonen said recently that his biggest hurdle ahead of his formula one comeback will be getting his neck back to full strength after two years in rallying.

Arnall revealed that Raikkonen has been using a F1 driver-position simulator supplied by Technogym at his Swiss home.

“He is in the right driving position and the muscle strain is the same as if you are driving,” he said. “Only the neck muscles are not working the same because there are no real g-forces.”

Before Melbourne, Raikkonen’s programme includes just eight days of testing.

“It’s not much but it’s the same for everyone,” concluded Arnall.

yallaf1.com