Michael Schumacher has urged Kimi Raikkonen to ask for Ferrari's help in overcoming his competitive slump.

Raikkonen, the reigning world champion, has been reduced to a supportive role for teammate Felipe Massa's 2008 title challenge, after struggling for recent form.

Retired seven time world champion Schumacher, who is now a Ferrari advisor and occasional test driver, believes the 29-year-old Finn's problems are purely technical.

"I think I have to protect him in many ways, because in the middle of the season we made some developments to the car but Kimi simply didn't get on with these ones," the German said in an interview with the BBC.

"The moment we went back with those changes, we got him back to competitive lap times," the 39-year-old added.

But Schumacher also concedes that Raikkonen's naturally reticent character could be playing a part in his struggle to get back up to speed.

While Massa openly embraces friend Schumacher's role as a mentor, Schumacher points out that his relationship with Raikkonen is "very different".

"In a way it is his strength that he has a very focused vision, and maybe sometimes it doesn't always help him," the German said.

"We could maybe help him more if he would ask for it."

Source: GMM