quoteKimi Raikkonen: Ferrari must have had reasons for strategy
HUNGARORING -- Kimi Raikkonen trusts Ferrari had good reasons for its strategy calls at the Hungarian Grand Prix after the timing of his pit stop appeared to suit teammate Sebastian Vettel's race more than his.
Raikkonen finished second to Vettel at the Hungaroring, but only after playing rear gunner for his teammate in the second half of his race as Vettel struggled with a steering issue and the Mercedes drivers closed in. Vettel's problem meant Raikkonen was the quicker of the two Ferraris and stood a good chance of emerging ahead of his teammate after his pit stop had he stayed out in clear air and exploited the pace of his car when Vettel pitted.
However, Ferrari pitted Raikkonen the lap after Vettel, giving him a minimal amount of time to gain an advantage, and resulting in Raikkonen rejoining the race directly behind Vettel. Raikkonen complained on the radio that he had "the speed to stay out" longer and when the two Mercedes drivers closed in behind him later in the race, he told the team "you've put me under massive pressure from Mercedes for no reason".
Raikkonen said he had considered extending his first stint longer to gain an advantage, but was wary of the pace of the two Mercedes behind, which had pitted in the two laps before Vettel's stop and were on fresh tyres.
"I wondered... but I have no idea what was happening behind us," Raikkonen explained after the race. "Mercedes stopped before and maybe they went a lot faster with the fresh tyres.
"The team told me I had to come in, I had good speed on the in-lap so I wanted to stay out longer, but I had to trust what the team was telling me. They see the whole picture and we did get close to Seb, but it was OK."
Raikkonen believes his best chance to win in Hungary was lost on Saturday when he made a mistake in qualifying.
"In the end we got another one-two and I can look at what I did yesterday [in qualifying] and blame myself for not giving myself a better chance in the race," he said. "My car was good, we had a plan as a team, Seb was first yesterday and he got away first. The aim was, in whatever way, to finish one-two.
"Obviously we know as team-mates what we are supposed to do and, like I said, I had a pretty good run into the first corner, but being team-mates, we can fight but probably leave a bit more space and we're not going to force the issue, compared to what we'd do with somebody else."
Yes but it had been pretty good for Kimi to have a victory taking into account that the latest one was with Lotus. Furthermore that I read in a large week end paper that when Seb asked who's friends he's got in the F1 Paddock! His answer was "I have none" ......what do you think about his answer? Selfish?
Quote: jpp47 wrote in post #17Yes but it had been pretty good for Kimi to have a victory taking into account that the latest one was with Lotus. Furthermore that I read in a large week end paper that when Seb asked who's friends he's got in the F1 Paddock! His answer was "I have none" ......what do you think about his answer? Selfish?
Strange But maybe he make a difference between teammate and friend? I mean: I have very nice colleagues at work. I work with them very well and we laugh a lot. But I would not say they are my friends. But my feeling from pictures is different. They are friends. No clue why he say so.
Lets see how log they need until they pick on Kimi again. But for now I like to read it.
quoteVettel won with Raikkonen’s help – Italian press
The Ferrari-partisan Italian press has backed reports the Maranello marque looks set to keep Kimi Raikkonen at the team for 2018.
It is expected the fabled Italian team will announce the new deals for Sebastian Vettel and Raikkonen at Monza.
So after the duo finished first and second in Hungary, the Italian press heralded the way Ferrari’s current drivers work together.
“Vettel won with Raikkonen’s help,” said La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“In truth, Raikkonen is the true winner, having played servant for Vettel because he could have easily overtaken and won.
“He will be at Vettel’s side for another year.”
Corriere dello Sport calls the German and Finnish pairing a “dream team”.
“Ferrari was invincible in Budapest thanks to the power of clear ideas,” said the newspaper. “At Ferrari, it is understood that one wins the drivers’ title only if all row in the same direction.”
Tuttosport added: “No one should be allowed to separate these two drivers.”
And Corriere della Sera remarked: “Hungary reminded us that formula one is a team sport. Raikkonen waived the victory and receives a contract extension, as Ferrari has a perfect duo that Sergio Marchionne will want to keep.”
Indeed, while Mercedes operated a questionable policy of driver equality with Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas in Hungary, former F1 driver Mika Salo said the Ferrari pecking order is just logical.
“The points difference became so big at the beginning of the season that Kimi is forced to accept it,” he told Ilta Sanomat newspaper.
“I don’t know whether Kimi could have passed Vettel, but for Ferrari (what happened is) ok as formula one is still a team sport.”
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Sun Jul 30, 2017 7:48 pm
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But for now I like to read it. 