Hamilton fastest as Raikkonen crashes during practice one at Korea
Lewis Hamilton has managed to end the opening practice session of the Korean Grand Prix weekend fastest overall, only just ahead of reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel. Mark Webber ended the session 3rd for Red Bull, whereas Kimi Raikkonen endured a heavy incident towards the end of the session.
After a two week gap since Sebastian Vettel’s sensational display of dominance around the illuminated streets of Singapore, the Formula 1 paddock reconvened at Yeongam for the fourth running of the Korean Grand Prix. Despite serious threats of a typhoon presenting inclement weather conditions on race day, the opening practice session of the weekend began in glorious and sunny weather conditions. For the first session, reserve drivers’ James Calado and Rodolfo Gonzalez replaced Paul di Resta and Jules Bianchi at their respective outfits, in a bid to enjoy some pivotal running in Formula 1.
At the start of the session reserve driver Rodolfo Gonzalez became the first driver to take to the track for Marussia, and was quickly followed by many others who were keen begin their preparations for the weekend ahead. As per usual many drivers up and down the paddock elected to carry out installation laps, with Pastor Maldonado and Sebastian Vettel in particular sporting a vast array of sensors on their respective machines. Eventually the Marussia of Rodolfo Gonzalez became the first driver to produce a timed lap, with a 01:52.294. The Venezuelan driver continued to improve as the session progressed, gradually working his way down to a 01:46.810 as Marussia’s preparations for the weekend ahead continued.
Despite continuing to improve around the Korea International Circuit, Rodolfo Gonzalez’s session was brought to a sudden halt, after a hefty collision with the wall. The 27-year-old Venezuelan driver ran wide on the exit of Turn 13, and was subsequently speared into the retaining concrete wall. The resulting incident destroyed the Marussia’s front-wing, as Gonzalez limped back to the pits for repairs.
After the debris that littered the exit of Turn 13 was cleared by the Korean marshals, the drivers gradually returned to the circuit to continue with their preparations. Sergio Perez soon rose to the top for McLaren with a 01:44.258, a time which the Mexican sensation was able to improve upon greatly down to a 01:41.960. James Calado and Valtteri Bottas slotted into 2nd and 3rd position respectively, as more driver continued returning to the Korea International Circuit. James Calado suffered a minor spin at Turn 12 as the session progressed, whereas Felipe Massa was informed of a left-front puncture on his Ferrari which forced the Brazilian driver to return to the pits.
Nico Rosberg soon rose to the top for Mercedes, with the German producing a 01:41.498 for the German marque. His reign was soon brought to a conclusion by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, who managed to produce a 01:41.437 for the Scuderia. The times continued to tumble as the session progressed, as reigning Champion Sebastian Vettel momentarily rose to the top for Red Bull before Nico Rosberg returned to the top with a 01:40.364. The German driver continued to improve at the front for Mercedes, with a 01:40.117 as Mark Webber slotted into 2nd position for Red Bull.
As the session entered its final stages Lewis Hamilton rose to the top for Mercedes with a 01:39.630, as Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes was seemingly struck with an issue, as the German’s seat was removed from his car to allow his mechanics access to a hydraulic filling point. Whilst Nico Rosberg remained in the pit-lane, the Red Bull duo of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel began to improve out on track, resulting in Sebastian Vettel producing a 01:39.667 to go 2nd fastest and only +0.037 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton.
The opening session was brought to an explosive conclusion, as Kimi Raikkonen lost the rear of his Lotus through the final complex of corners and slammed violently into the retaining tyre barrier. The resulting incident utterly destroyed both the front and the rear of the Finn’s car, undoubtedly increasing his back issues in the process. The checkered flag was ultimately unfurled amid yellow flags, as Kimi Raikkonen walked the short distance back to the pits leaving behind a completely wrecked Lotus.
Whilst the Lotus mechanics prepared for a lengthy rebuild before practice two, Lewis Hamilton ended the opening session fastest overall for Mercedes only just ahead of the ever threatening Red Bull’s of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. The preparations for the weekend ahead will continue later in the day, when the Formula 1 paddock returns to the Korea International Circuit for the second practice session.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m39.630s 20 2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m39.667s +0.037s 20 3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m39.816s +0.186s 19 4. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m40.117s +0.487s 20 5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m40.215s +0.585s 22 6. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m40.374s +0.744s 18 7. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m40.396s +0.766s 19 8. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m40.677s +1.047s 15 9. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m40.860s +1.230s 20 10. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m40.880s +1.250s 13 11. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m40.899s +1.269s 20 12. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m41.432s +1.802s 18 13. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m41.482s +1.852s 22 14. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m41.626s +1.996s 21 15. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m41.924s +2.294s 19 16. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m42.002s +2.372s 20 17. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m42.043s +2.413s 18 18. James Calado Force India-Mercedes 1m43.008s +3.378s 21 19. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m43.660s +4.030s 20 20. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m43.883s +4.253s 19 21. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m44.100s +4.470s 14 22. Rodolfo Gonzalez Marussia-Cosworth 1m46.810s +7.180s 10
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
Ferrari confirms Kimi Raikkonen return alongside Fernando Alonso in 2014
Rumours regarding Kimi Raikkonen’s future in Formula 1 have been officially brought to a conclusion, with Ferrari confirming the Finn’s return to the outfit on a two-year deal. This will see Raikkonen replace Felipe Massa next season, as well as partner Fernando Alonso in what will unquestionably be a strong line-up for the Scuderia.
Once Kimi Raikkonen was thwarted by Daniel Ricciardo in the quest for the Red Bull vacancy alongside reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel, rumours stepped up a gear linking the 2007 World Champion with a shock move back to Ferrari. The Finn drove for the Italian outfit between 2007 and 2009, winning nine races and one World Championship. However, towards the end of the 2009 season his relationship within the Scuderia was brought to a premature conclusion when they opted to replace him with two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso.
Kimi Raikkonen was an instant success at Ferrari, winning the Championship in 2007.
Although Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo stated back in December that two number one drivers would not be ideal for a team like Ferrari, it seems next season is shaping up to be one of incredible intrigue at the Scuderia as two of the sports most competitive drivers work together at one of the most iconic marques in motorsport. Both drivers made their debuts’ in Formula 1 back in 2001, with Fernando Alonso at Minardi and Kimi Raikkonen at Sauber. Both drivers have enjoyed tremendous success in the sport, and are highly regarded by many within the paddock.
“Scuderia Ferrari announces that it has reached an agreement with Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn will join Fernando Alonso in the driver line-up for the next two racing seasons,” read an official statement from Ferrari on Raikkonen’s return.
The announcement comes amid a huge reshuffle within the driver market, with Mark Webber set to bid the sport farewell at the end of the season and be replaced by Daniel Ricciardo. Unless Felipe Massa manages to find a drive elsewhere on the grid for 2014, he too could be set to leave Formula 1 with new faces including Sergey Sirotkin and Antonio Felix da Costa likely to make an appearance at Sauber and Toro Rosso respectively. Nico Hulkenberg is widely tipped to replace Kimi Raikkonen at Lotus, with Romain Grosjean likely to remain at the Enstone-based outfit alongside the German.
This announcement sees Kimi Raikkonen become the first driver to return to Ferrari since Gerhard Berger back in 1993, after the Austrian ace departed from the Scuderia in 1989 to join Ayrton Senna at McLaren. With Kimi Raikkonen regarded as a master of consistency within the paddock, after his record-breaking streak of 25 races within the points for Lotus between 2012 and 2013, the Finn will be looking to excel to the heights of his 2007 competitiveness when he is reunited with the Prancing Horse.
Picture(s) Copyright © Lotus F1 Team & Ferrari
Felipe Massa Ends Final Practice Marginally Ahead Of Kimi Raikkonen
Felipe Massa has continued his impressive start to his 2013 campaign after ending the third and final practice session just marginally ahead of the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, in a dry practice session around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. The duo were followed by the Red Bull of Mark Webber, with Romain Grosjean 4th.
The final practice session ahead of the all-important qualifying hour began in sunny weather conditions, despite dark clouds looming ominously in the distance. Paul di Resta and Daniel Ricciardo immediately got proceedings underway when the session became green, as they became the first drivers to take to Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. Many more drivers followed, however the majority opted to complete installation laps before returning back to the pits.
However, the Mercedes and Caterham duo both elected to set early timed laps, with Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and then Charles Pic all rising to the top of the timing sheets for their respective teams with the latter setting a 01:25.635. Eventually further drivers elected to take to the Circuit de Catalunya to complete their first timed laps of the session, with Esteban Gutierrez setting the pace before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:23.920.
As the third and final practice session progressed, the Lotus duo of Kimi Raikkonen and then Romain Grosjean rose to the top for the Enstone-based outfit, with the latter producing a 01:23.042. Local hero Fernando Alonso then gave his adoring masses an excuse to cheer, as the Ferrari man stormed to the top with a 01:23.006. Whereas Ferrari continued to look strong at the front, McLaren continued to struggle despite the new upgrades, as Sergio Perez crawled back to the pits after his new front-left brake duct broke.
As the third and final practice session entered its closing stages, Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg became the first drivers to elect for Pirelli’s medium tyre compound, with the Spaniard unsurprisingly smashing his previous best with a 01:22.254 on the softer rubber. The Mercedes duo slotted into 2nd and 3rd position respectively, with Lewis Hamilton just ahead of his German team-mate. Kimi Raikkonen managed to storm to the top of the timing sheets as he too opted for the medium tyre compound, with the 2007 World Champion producing a 01:21.907.
Throughout the closing minutes of the third practice session, all of the drivers except Jean-Eric Vergne opted to run Pirelli’s medium tyre compound. This saw many improved lap times up and down the order, however only Felipe Massa could thwart the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen with an impressive 01:21.901, only +0.006 seconds ahead of his former Ferrari team-mate. Mark Webber managed to progress into 3rd position for Red Bull, with reigning Champion Sebastian Vettel a distant 5th.
With all three practice sessions now over ahead of the all-important qualifying hour, the teams and drivers will now be frantically finalizing their preparations for the remainder of the weekend. As expected, both Ferrari, Lotus and Red Bull look impressively quick, however only one driver can start from the coveted pole position.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Kimi Raikkonen Coy On Formula 1 Future
Former Formula 1 World Champion, Kimi Raikkonen, is remaining coy on his future within the sport, amid speculation regarding the Finn joining Red Bull in 2014 to replace Mark Webber. This would see him partner good friend Sebastian Vettel in the outfit, which could present the sport with a fearsome combination.
However, whilst Formula 1’s silly season swings into an unusually early motion, Kimi Raikkonen has remained his usual impassive self with regards to his future in Formula 1. Currently the 2007 World Champion is competing in his second season with Lotus, after he returned from rallying last year. Whilst Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz has fanned the flames with regards to the rumors linking Raikkonen to Red Bull, Lotus owner Gerard Lopez fully believes the 33-year-old will remain with the Enstone-based outfit.
“Kimi’s position is going to be based on a bunch of things and not on what Red Bull say – I think they have their hands full right now.” Explained Gerard Lopez to Autosport after the Chinese Grand Prix. “As far as we are concerned, the relationship with Kimi is excellent. We are where we want to be, he is where he wants to be, and I can guarantee you that Kimi is not the sort of guy who is going to sign any sort of pre-contract. Not with anybody. If we keep giving him what he wants then I don’t see there is any reason for him to go anywhere. We are happy, so we don’t see any reason to replace him.”
Whereas the respective team owners seem rather vocal about whether or not Kimi Raikkonen would move from one team to another, the Finn himself has explained how he has not yet thought about his future in the sport. Kimi Raikkonen, who has finished in the points in every race since last year’s Chinese Grand Prix, believes the sport will see a significant change when the teams begin switching to the development on their 2014 cars.
“I haven’t thought about all that yet – I feel good here.” Said Kimi Raikkonen, in an exclusive interview with Formula1.com at the Bahrain Grand Prix. “But yes, there are many things that are undecided and there is still a long way to go this season, so let’s see how things unfold. We will see pretty significant changes when teams switch to their 2014 car development – and then it will be interesting to see what is going on. I have no contract for next year – that much is true. But further than that, I don’t want to discuss the matter. I want to do well this season and everything else will fall into place.”
So far Kimi Raikkonen has been regarded by many within the paddock as Mr. Consistency, finishing in the points at each of the opening four races. This streak of consistency for Kimi Raikkonen stretches as far back as the Chinese Grand Prix last year, and includes two race victories for Lotus. Already the Finn has been tipped as a title contender alongside the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, one of the many facts which will make him hot property on the driver market for 2014.
Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team
Kimi Raikkonen Leads Red Bull After Second Practice At Bahrain
Kimi Raikkonen has ended the second practice session fastest overall, ahead of the Red Bull duo of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. The Finn displayed a strong race simulation pace, which could see him master a two-stop strategy during the race on Sunday.
After a light rain shower between the two practice sessions, the second session began with overcast weather conditions over the Bahrain International Circuit. Despite the earlier rain, the heat meant the track was still bone dry as the Marussia duo of Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi took to the track as the session turned green. The Briton set the initial pace for the Banbury-based outfit, with a 01:41.419. However, the times quickly began to tumble as the likes of Giedo van der Garde, Jenson Button and Sergio Perez all rose to the top.
As more drivers gradually took to the Bahrain International Circuit, several drivers including Pastor Maldonado and Lewis Hamilton made minor mistakes and ran off of the track as they pushed too hard in their respective machines. Jenson Button managed to momentarily return to the top of the timing sheets for McLaren, before the Red Bull of Mark Webber displaced the former World Champion with a 01:34.664. Sebastian Vettel struggled to match his team-mates pace early on, as the reigning World Champion ran extensively wide at Turns 14 and 15, therefore ruining his timed lap.
Fernando Alonso became one of the first drivers to opt for Pirelli’s medium tyre compound as the session progressed, which in return saw the Spaniard storm to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:34.317 for the Scuderia. Felipe Massa slotted into 3rd position behind Alonso and Webber, as Ferrari continued their strong display of pace around the circuit. Mark Webber soon joined the two-time Champion on the medium tyres, and subsequently set a 01:34.184 to leapfrog the Ferrari driver.
Many drivers soon decided that the medium tyres were the way ahead, as the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton carried out the switch. Esteban Gutierrez’s poor start to the season continued at Turn 8, when the Mexican rookie ran wide and made minor contact with the Caterham of Charles Pic who was in the process of allowing the GP2 graduate through. This caused a front-left puncture for Gutierrez, who was forced to limp back to the pits.
Kimi Raikkonen rose to the top for Lotus with a 01:34.154, as the Enstone-based outfit continued to work well with Pirelli’s unpredictable P Zero tyre compounds. All of the drivers unsurprisingly elected to run race simulations as the second practice session wore on, with Lotus and Ferrari in particular standing out as looking competitive for the race. Felipe Massa ran a touch wide on the exit of Turn 7, as the majority of the drivers still continued to push over the limit in a bid to fully prepare themselves for the weekend ahead.
As the session drew to a close, Kimi Raikkonen’s time at the top of the timing sheets remained unbeaten, as the former World Champion ended the session ahead of the Red Bull duo of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. The Finn’s race simulation throughout the session indicated that he could carry out a two-stop race strategy on Sunday, which could well enable him to secure his first ever victory around the Bahrain International Circuit. However, both Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso can never be discounted, and the battle at the front will inevitably be close once proceedings continue tomorrow morning during practice three.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m34.154s 31 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m34.184s + 0.030s 26 3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m34.282s + 0.128s 29 4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m34.310s + 0.156s 28 5. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m34.543s + 0.389s 35 6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m34.552s + 0.398s 34 7. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m34.631s + 0.477s 33 8. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m34.666s + 0.512s 37 9. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m34.932s + 0.778s 33 10. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m34.976s + 0.822s 29 11. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m35.356s + 1.202s 32 12. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m35.506s + 1.352s 36 13. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m35.5$9s + 1.435s 36 14. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m35.761s + 1.607s 33 15. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.133s + 1.979s 36 16. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m36.279s + 2.125s 33 17. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m36.579s + 2.425s 28 18. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.616s + 2.462s 34 19. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m37.061s + 2.907s 32 20. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m37.313s + 3.159s 33 21. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m37.363s + 3.209s 29 22. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m37.970s + 3.816s 34
Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team
Kimi Raikkonen Wanted To Change Front Wing
Kimi Raikkonen has disclosed that he wanted to change his front wing during the Chinese Grand Prix, after his minor incident with the McLaren of Sergio Perez at Turn 6. In his attempt to keep the Finn at bay, Perez practically barged Raikkonen onto the grass through Turn 5 which resulted in the altercation between the two.
Luckily the collision between the two was not as ferocious as the one between Esteban Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil earlier in the race, however minor damage was caused to Kimi Raikkonen’s nose cone during the incident. The damage was clearly noticeable throughout the remainder of the race, however Lotus elected not to change the front wing as the car continued to handle well. However, the 2007 World Champion has confirmed that he initially wanted the team to change the wing, despite the Finn’s ability to still overtake other competitors.
“Second wasn’t quite what we wanted, but in the circumstances it was the best that we could manage today.” Explained Kimi Raikkonen, “I’m not 100% happy because we didn’t win, but it is what it is and second place is a good result after a bad start and the incident with Sergio [Perez]. Of course there were some handling issues which was not ideal, but we just had to try to live with it and we still had pretty okay speed. Actually I wanted to change it [the front wing] and wasn’t sure if they changed it. I think they looked at the wing at the first pit stop but they probably thought that it would take too long. The reason why they probably didn’t change it was that the car was reasonably OK, I could still overtake people.”
After securing a superlative victory at the opening race of the season in Australia, finishing 7th in Malaysia and 2nd at this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, Kimi Raikkonen now sits only three points behind Championship leader Sebastian Vettel and six ahead of Fernando Alonso. This result was the Finn’s 20th consecutive points finish, and should he continue to display this tremendous consistency throughout the season, he will surely remain a Championship contender.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Kimi Raikkonen Storms To Superlative Victory At The Australian Grand Prix
Kimi Raikkonen has stormed to an impressive victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, during a 58-lap race which was dominated by the ever-changing Pirelli tyres. The Finn was followed home by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, with reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel a distant 3rd for Red Bull.
Despite locking-out the front row of the grid during qualifying earlier in the morning, the Red Bull’s advantage was thwarted during the opening race of the season as tyre strategies dominated proceedings. At the start Sebastian Vettel stormed into the lead for Red Bull, whereas the German’s team-mate of Mark Webber visibly struggled off of the line and was robbed by the Ferrari duo and Lewis Hamilton. The local hero continued to struggle during the opening lap, whereas Felipe Massa aimed at catching race leader Sebastian Vettel at the front.
Lewis Hamilton became locked in a grueling battle for 4th with the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, with the Finn eventually muscling his way around the Briton during the frenetic opening laps. The first laps of the race were disastrous for the two local drivers, as Daniel Ricciardo fell to the back of the pack for Toro Rosso after fellow countryman Mark Webber’s terrible start. Jenson Button became the first driver to pit for new tyres on Lap 5 for McLaren, with the Briton being followed into the pits during the next few laps by many others including Mark Webber.
Sebastian Vettel leads at the front as the pack negotiates Turn 1.
Whilst many drivers decided to pit early for new tyres, Felipe Massa began to seriously catch the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel for the lead. Eventually the reigning Champion elected to pit from the lead on Lap 8, whereas the Ferrari duo elected to remain out on track with Felipe Massa in the lead. The next lap saw Felipe Massa finally decide to pit, as team-mate Fernando Alonso took the lead ahead of the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen. The duo also pitted on Lap 10, allowing Lewis Hamilton to assume the lead for Mercedes.
Pastor Maldonado struggled greatly during the opening stages of the Grand Prix, as the Venezuelan driver skipped through the gravel at Turn 1. Further down the order saw McLaren’s Sergio Perez visibly struggle for grip, as he plummeted through the pack. Kimi Raikkonen began to display his superlative pace after his opening pit stop for Lotus, whereas Lewis Hamilton remained in the lead for Mercedes despite not yet pitting. However, the 2008 World Champion elected to pit on Lap 14, thus handing the lead down to team-mate Nico Rosberg.
Once the German driver had also pitted for Mercedes, the lead was surprisingly assumed by the Force India of Formula 1 returnee Adrian Sutil. Many expected the German driver to also pit soon after taking the lead, however after starting the race on the medium tyre the German driver was able to remain out on track much longer than predicted. Sebastian Vettel was unable to catch and overtake the Force India, with Felipe Massa close behind the reigning World Champion.
Whilst Adrian Sutil continued to command the race at the front, Mark Webber pitted once again for Red Bull. The Australian driver was followed a lap later by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, who pitted earlier than his team-mate to try and perfect the “undercut”. Adrian Sutil and Sebastian Vettel pitted together on Lap 22, with the Force India driver amazingly exiting the pit-lane ahead of his fellow compatriot. However, Fernando Alonso stormed around both of them after they exited the pit-lane, as Felipe Massa led out in front.
Felipe Massa’s chances of a strong result were scuppered when the Ferrari driver pitted on Lap 24, which saw the Brazilian driver exit behind both Alonso, Vettel and even Sutil. Pastor Maldonado’s race failed to improve, as the Williams driver spun out of the race at Turn 1 on Lap 26 and beached his car in the unforgiving gravel. Nico Rosberg followed the Venezuelan driver into retirement shortly after, with an electrical fault striking the German’s Mercedes.
As the race progressed light rain began to sprinkle down upon the Albert Park street circuit, however it failed to amount to anything like the rainfall witnessed the day before. Lewis Hamilton struggled greatly on his set of medium tyres, and was passed by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso before he pitted for a second time. This handed the lead to Kimi Raikkonen, who elected to pit shortly after despite a promising display of pace from the Finn at the front.
Fernando Alonso assumed the lead at the front of the pack, whilst reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel pitted on Lap 38. When the Spaniard eventually pitted once again on Lap 40, Adrian Sutil once again assumed the lead of the race after a superlative display of pace from the Force India driver. Daniel Ricciardo became the next driver to retire from the race of Lap 42, after a broken exhaust on the Toro Rosso.
Just prior to Adrian Sutil’s final pit-stop of the race of the super-soft tyre compound, Kimi Raikkonen streamed around the Force India driver at Turn 14 for the lead of the race. After taking the lead, the Finn simply romped into the distance to secure his first win at the Albert Park street circuit since 2007. Adrian Sutil’s race ended miserably, after his switch to the super-soft tyre failed to work and he plummeted through the order.
Such misfortune failed to find Kimi Raikkonen, who led home a podium which included a combined six World Championships with Fernando Alonso 2nd and Sebastian Vettel 3rd. The “Iceman” will unquestionably be looking to replicate such successes next time out at the Malaysian Grand Prix next weekend, at a venue where the Finn secured his maiden Grand Prix victory in 2003.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Australian Grand Prix Albert Park, Australia; 58 laps; 307.574km; Weather: Cloudy. Classified: Pos Driver Team Time 1. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1h30:03.225 2. Alonso Ferrari + 12.451 3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 22.346 4. Massa Ferrari + 33.577 5. Hamilton Mercedes + 45.561 6. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 46.800 7. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1:05.068 8. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1:08.449 9. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 1:21.630 10. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 1:22.759 11. Perez McLaren-Mercedes + 1:23.367 12. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:23.857 13. Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap 14. Bottas Williams-Renault + 1 lap 15. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap 16. Pic Caterham-Renault + 2 laps 17. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth + 2 laps 18. van der Garde Caterham-Renault + 2 laps Fastest lap: Raikkonen, 1:29.274 Not classified/retirements: Driver Team On lap Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 40 Rosberg Mercedes 26 Maldonado Williams-Renault 25 Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1
Picture(s) Copyright © Getty Images
Kimi Raikkonen Unconcerned With Testing Issues Ahead Of Australia
Kimi Raikkonen is unconcerned with the issues met during testing by Lotus, as the Finn prepares for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix around Melbourne’s Albert Park street circuit. During the final winter test around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, Lotus completed the least amount of mileage behind Williams.
However, Kimi Raikkonen is remaining optimistic with his Championship chances ahead of the new season, with Lotus still regarded by many within the paddock as the dark horse once again this season. Last year many predicted a Lotus victory throughout the majority of the season, however the Finn could only manage one victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix towards the end of the season. Despite this lone victory, the Enstone-based outfit still managed to finish 4th in the Championship.
“We had some problems in testing but we still completed quite a few laps.” Explained Kimi Raikkonen, “Of course, you always want more laps, but it is what it is. We’re all going racing and then we’ll really see where we’re at. I’m not really concerned about reliability or anything like that as it was the same problem which caused us the biggest problems in testing and we’re on top of that now. You can never be 100% certain of course, but if you look at last season we had problems before the start of the year then we were pretty good when we got to the races. Of course we hope that we can perform better than last year, but let’s see how it goes.”
Due largely to Kimi Raikkonen’s sensational competitiveness during last season, which saw him complete all but one racing lap throughout the year, many are predicting the Finn to be a Championship contender alongside the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso. However, like the majority of the Formula 1 paddock, Kimi Raikkonen is unsure of the true pecking order of the grid and is therefore remaining coy on his Championship chances.
“Hopefully, but it’s so difficult to say from testing.” Continued Kimi Raikkonen, when asked whether he felt better placed to fight for the Championship. “Twenty kilos of fuel can make a big difference to lap time and we don’t know how much fuel people were carrying in Spain. Let’s see what happens in Melbourne. Hopefully we can be fast in the first races and have a good start to the year.”
With the unpredictability and competitiveness of last season expected to continue this year, Kimi Raikkonen and Lotus will be striving to battle for further race victories. The Finn, a former Champion of the sport, is well versed in securing race victories in Formula 1 and is expected to once again shine in 2013.
Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team
Kimi Raikkonen Open To Rallying Return
Kimi Raikkonen has confirmed he has no objections to a return to rallying, despite his continuation with Lotus for the 2013 season. After leaving Formula 1 for rallying in 2010, the Finn completed an extremely competitive return to the sport last season alongside Frenchman Romain Grosjean.
However, the 2007 World Champion has explained how he wishes to compete in more rally events in the future. This has therefore sparked the question of how long will Kimi Raikkonen remain a Formula 1 driver before he wishes to once again leave the sport for a different challenge? Despite several uncompetitive results in the FIA World Rally Championship, Kimi Raikkonen is adamant his career in the category was not a failure.
“No.” Explained Kimi Raikkonen, when asked whether his short rally career was frustrating. “Believe it or not, I still want to do rallying. I had a good time and I knew from the very beginning that it was going to be tough. People say ‘oh, it’s been a failure’. Not at all – I started with zero experience and for that I did pretty well. Sure I went off, but anybody believing he could do better, go and prove it!”
Although Kimi Raikkonen could potentially leave Formula 1 for rallying once again in the future, the Finn is remaining focused on his current career with Lotus. His return was heralded as a major success in comparison to Michael Schumacher’s with Mercedes in 2010, with the 33-year-old finishing every racing lap of the season including points finishes at each race except the Chinese Grand Prix. The Finn didn’t have any expectations heading into his return season, and was naturally surprised with the outcome.
“No, of course not.” Continued Kimi Raikkonen, when asked whether he expected to attend the FIA prize giving ceremony after the season. “I didn’t have many expectations. I didn’t know the team, nor their car – I just knew that I wanted to do my best and see what happens! Of course you aim for it, but if you are in a completely new situation and have no reference of what you can and can’t expect, then you take it with a smile.”
Many within the Formula 1 paddock are convinced that Kimi Raikkonen could become a Championship contender in the forthcoming season should he take more victories behind the wheel of the E21, coupled with his unbelievable consistency of last season. The Finn is well versed with what it takes to secure victory and Championships, and simply needs to be left alone…because he knows what he is doing!
Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team
Nico Rosberg Pips Kimi Raikkonen In Opening Day Of Barcelona Test
Nico Rosberg has marginally finished ahead of the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen during the opening day of the Barcelona test, with the German eventually setting a time +0.007 seconds faster than the Finn. The duo were followed home by the reigning World Champion of Sebastian Vettel.
The opening day of the Barcelona test dawned under clear skies at the Circuit de Catalunya, with local hero Fernando Alonso unsurprisingly becoming the first driver to take to the track for the Scuderia in his first track appearance of the year. The two-time Champion decided to skip the opening Jerez test in favor of continued training whilst Felipe Massa and Pedro de la Rosa drove for Ferrari.
Fernando Alonso was instantly joined out on the track by Nico Rosberg, Esteban Gutierrez, Max Chilton, Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Raikkonen and Pastor Maldonado in the new Williams FW35 which was unveiled only moments before track action began. In traditional fashion the majority of the field elected to only complete installation laps during the opening few minutes of the day, before Daniel Ricciardo set the first timed lap of the day with a 01:46.712 in the Toro Rosso.
The Australian improved at the top before the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso thwarted the Toro Rosso driver with a 01:37.504. Pastor Maldonado set the first competitive lap time of the day with a 01:29.550, a time which the Venezuelan ace was able to improve upon many times throughout the morning period. Eventually the 27-year-old worked his way down to a 01:26.980, with the new FW35 machine impressing on its opening day.
Pastor Maldonado’s reign at the top was finally brought to an end when the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg set a 01:24.520, with other drivers up and down the pit-lane finally beginning to set competitive looking lap times. The first red flag delay of the day was caused when the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez stopped on the track at Turn 7, with the team later confirming that the Mexican had run out of fuel due to a planned fuel-run on the car. Once the action was resumed out on track, the McLaren of Sergio Perez rose to the top with a 01:24.362.
Local hero Fernando Alonso soon reasserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:24.162, as the times at the top continued to fall throughout the morning period. Paul di Resta then went momentarily fastest for Force India before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel produced a 01:24.039 to go top. Kimi Raikkonen briefly rose to the top for Lotus, before Sebastian Vettel set several considerably fast times at the top which eventually culminated in a 01:23.046 which saw the German end the morning session fastest overall.
A second red flag delay was caused just under an hour into the afternoon period, when the Caterham of Charles Pic stopped at Turn 3 with his Renault-powered machine suffering a mechanical issue. The session was quickly resumed once Pic’s Caterham was cleared, as Sergio Perez, Pastor Maldonado and Sebastian Vettel became the first three drivers to return to the track. Nico Rosberg’s lack of track action was explained by Mercedes as the afternoon progressed, with a gearbox issue plaguing the German’s W03 machine.
The reigning World Champion improved his time at the top as the opening day drew to a close, with a 01:22.965 seeing Sebastian Vettel become the first driver to set a sub-01:22s time. After a slow start to the day, Nico Rosberg shot to the top with only twenty minutes remaining in the day with a 01:22.616. Kimi Raikkonen then went 2nd only +007 seconds behind the German. Eventually the checkered flag flew signaling the end of the day’s action, with Nico Rosberg remaining fastest ahead of the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen and the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel.
Tomorrow will see several driver changes ahead of the second day of testing around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya as Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas make their first appearances of the week. Mercedes will be aiming to continue progressing after a troubled Jerez test, as the season looms ever closer.
Tuesday times: Pos Driver Team Time Laps Tyre* 1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m22.616s 54 Medium 2. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 1m22.672s + 0.007s 44 Medium 3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m22.952s + 0.336s 110 Medium 4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m22.965s + 0.349s 66 Medium 5. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1m23.733s + 1.117s 86 Soft 6. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m23.884s + 1.268s 73 Hard 7. Sergio Perez McLaren 1m24.124s + 1.508s 77 Medium 8. Paul di Resta Force India 1m24.144s + 1.528s 82 Medium 9. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1m25.124s + 2.508s 68 Hard 10. Max Chilton Marussia 1m26.747s + 4.131s 65 Soft 11. Charles Pic Caterham 1m27.534s + 4.918s 49 Hard * Compound on which fastest lap was set
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
F1 News 24/7
Andy's GP Blog 