Kimi Raikkonen celebrated the extension of his contract with Ferrari by clocking the fastest time in the second free practice session for Sunday's Italian Grand Prix.
''It's the right choice for me. I'm happy, relaxed and looking ahead,'' said the world champion after stretching his contract by a year until 2010.
Raikkonen was asked about the eventuality he might help Felipe Massa in his battle at the top against McLaren's Lewis Hamilton now that he has dropped 17 points behind his Brazilian teammate and 19 behind the young Briton with four races to go.
He replied: ''I'm still in it: I'll try to stay there till the end. I'm out to win''.
Before Friday's extension news, there had been some speculation Raikkonen might change teams or Ferrari might even drop the Finn who is having a poor second year with the Italian team.
With only two wins to Massa's five, he had also been widely tipped to take an unofficial second spot in the team to boost Massa's chances.
Massa said Raikkonen's extension was ''a good thing for the stability of the team and doesn't change anything for the championship race''.
''We're a good team''.
''Raikkonen is a very good driver. He doesn't make life easy for me so I always have to push hard''.
Massa said his team mate would ''definitely help Ferrari win two straight titles'' after Fernado Alonso's two winning years at Renault broke Ferrari's five-year dominance with Michael Schumacher.
In Friday's practice Raikkonen was 0.07 seconds faster than BMW's Robert Kubica of Poland and a further 0.015 seconds ahead of the other BMW driver, Nick Heidfeld of Germany.
Hamilton was fourth, 0.122 seconds behind Raikkonen.
Massa was 0.386 seconds adrift of Raikkonen in sixth.
The championship standings could be affected by a McLaren appeal against an infraction by Hamilton in the Belgian Grand Prix last Sunday.
Hamilton on Friday denied saying Raikkonen ''didn't have the balls'' to brake as late as he did at a corner, effectively forcing the McLaren driver across a chicane.
''I didn't say that, I only said I did a better job,'' Hamilton told reporters.
The 25-second penalty imposed by race stewards was for not surrendering the advantage gained by cutting across the chicane.
McLaren contends Hamilton did give it back by allowing Raikkonen past, while Ferrari says he kept it by staying in the Finn's slipstream.
The appeal hearing has been set for September 22.
Asked about Hamilton's reported comments, Raikkonen said he ''didn't care''.
