Italian GP: Raikkonen admits Lotus just too slow
Kimi Raikkonen said his Italian Grand Prix qualifying disappointment was a simple matter of Lotus being too slow in low-downforce trim
The team failed to get a car into Q3 for the first time this year as Raikkonen and team-mate Romain Grosjean ended up only 11th and 13th.
"This is our speed," said Raikkonen. "I was expecting to have a difficult weekend because it was last year.
"It seems to be when you have to take a lot of wing out and run in this configuration, it's not very good for us.
"We were close to getting into Q3 but I think the end result would've been very similar.
"We cannot run lower wings without suffering. The balance was not bad but we just did not have the grip.
"I think we are usually better in race conditions. But the others won't have suddenly slowed down."
The Monza qualifying result follows Raikkonen's first retirement of the year at Spa two weeks ago. That dropped him to fourth in the standings, 63 points behind leader Sebastian Vettel.
Raikkonen admitted that with Vettel on pole, his own title hopes were now fading.
"It looks like it. He's far away again. We have not exactly been the fastest lately," said Raikkonen.
Share Or Save This Story
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Jon Noble: An unfair perception or a genuine concern? Lifting the lid on Red Bull’s Tsunoda scepticism
What F1 history tells us about three-way title deciders
On this day: Raikkonen’s Suzuka masterclass
The contrasting fortunes of F1's big-name moves to Ferrari
The key moments in Renault's F1 history as it bids farewell
Was short-lived Lotus 76 simply a lame duck or never given a fair crack of the whip?
The man who shaped the Formula 1 car
Is Red Bull better or worse off one year after Horner's sacking? Our writers have their say
Vinales: 'KTM sent me a contract, I signed it, and two weeks later they cancelled it'
One year on: How Red Bull changed post-Horner
How technical issues have cost Bagnaia 40 points in the MotoGP title fight
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments