BUDAPEST, Aug 4, 2008 (AFP) - Defending drivers world champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen said Sunday that he felt optimistic for Ferrari providing they can solve their qualifying performance problems.

The Ferrari driver finished third in the Hungarian Grand Prix and pointed out afterwards that with a better grid position he would have been chasing victory and not just a place on the podium.

His team-mate Brazilian Felipe Massa looked on course for his fourth victory of the year until his car´s engine blew up with three laps remaining and cost him the leadership in the title race.

Raikkonen who started the race from sixth on the grid said: "I think we could have done the race a little bit better, but we were stuck behind Alonso.

"I was stuck behind him until the second stop so it was a bit late by that point. I had a good car and I was able to catch Timo (Glock), but I had to back off in one moment.

"We were a bit lucky with some of the other guys. We have the speed, but if we cannot get qualifying (fixed), then we will have the same problems. We have to sort it out.

"If we can be in front we can fight for wins. The guys did a good job but we need to fix the problems and for sure we can be back in the hunt for wins."

Raikkonen put second-placed Glock under pressure during the final laps, but in the end, following Massa´s engine failure, he had to back off and settle for third.

"Unfortunately, we needed to back off," he said.

"We were much faster, like with Alonso but it is so difficult. It is very difficult to get past. You need something special in one corner. Unfortunately I could not pass him. Third place in the end, after a difficult weekend for me, was a good result."

Raikkonen is now back in second place in the standings, five points behind Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren who finished fifth. His McLaren team-mate Finn Heikki Kovalainen won the race.