Abu Dhabi GP: Raikkonen sure he can fight Red Bull in the race
Kimi Raikkonen is certain the he has the pace to challenge the Red Bulls in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The Lotus driver qualified fifth and is confident that with a good start, he could get ahead of the Williams of Pastor Maldonado and attack Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.
He pointed to the impressive race pace of the Lotus in the Indian Grand Prix as proof that he can fight for "any position" but admits that getting stuck behind a slower car will cost him.
"If we get behind the Red Bulls after the start, we have a good chance to stay with them and hopefully do something about them," said Raikkonen when asked by AUTOSPORT about his hopes of taking the fight to the championship-leading outfit.
"But if we are stuck behind a slower car, the only chance is either they make a mistake and we pass them, or we pass them in the pit-stops. Then, it's too late to do anything about the guys in front.
"It's a similar story to the last race. If we had qualified where we should have, it would have turned out to be a completely different race.
"Hopefully we will get behind the Red Bulls, follow them and do something about them."
Raikkonen admitted that the Lotus's lack of straightline speed will make it difficult to overtake.
But he is hopeful that there will be opportunities to jump cars in the pit-stops.
"If you are stuck behind another car with our straightline speed [it is difficult] and here you don't see much overtaking," said Raikkonen.
"We had the speed last time [India] in terms of laptime, but not in a straightline. It hasn't changed at all.
"If we can put ourselves behind the cars that have similar speed, we can follow and try to do something at the pitstop."
Previous article
Abu Dhabi GP: Red Bull called to stewards over Sebastian Vettel's issue
Next article
Abu Dhabi GP: McLaren Saturday quotes
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Kimi Raikkonen |
| Teams | Red Bull Racing |
| Author | Edd Straw |
Starting Grid for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
F1 Fast Facts: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
How Verstappen and Hamilton’s Imola clash sets the tone for F1’s 2021 title fight
In Max Verstappen's Formula 1 career to date, he has been cast as the 'pretender', an acknowledged top-line performer without the car to regularly challenge Lewis Hamilton. But that no longer applies in 2021, and the start to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was the most telling signal yet of what we can expect from their duel this year
How “overwhelming” McLaren move has given Ricciardo a new verve
Daniel Ricciardo has found a new lease of life at McLaren – a move that’s been years in the making, as he explains to STUART CODLING…
The German legend who raced and beat Nuvolari
Ninety years ago, Rudolf Caracciola became the first non-Italian to win the epic Mille Miglia. We look at how he stacks up to the most famous pre-war ace Tazio Nuvolari, one of the drivers he beat on that day in 1931
How 2021's midfielders have taken lessons from F1's top teams
Formula 1’s latest Imola adventure turned into an expensive trip for many teams due to several crashes throughout the weekend. While balancing the books is an added factor in 2021 with the cost cap, a few midfield teams have cashed in early on development investments
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Driver Ratings
A frantic wet race at Imola produced plenty of excitement and drama as drivers scrabbled for grip. Amid the hatful of mistakes and incidents that ensued, who kept their noses cleanest?
How the Emilia Romagna GP result hinged on three crucial saves
Rain before the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix promised to spice up the action, and the race certainly delivered on that. Max Verstappen got the best launch to win from Lewis Hamilton, but both got away with mistakes that could have had serious consequences
The back-bedroom world-beater that began a new F1 era
The first in a line of world beaters was designed in a back bedroom and then constructed in a shed. STUART CODLING recalls the Tyrrell 001
The clues Hamilton’s F1 contract afterthought gives to his future
The Formula 1 world reacted with surprise when it learned Lewis Hamilton’s long-awaited new Mercedes deal guarantees his presence on the grid only until the end of 2021. Both parties claimed publicly they were happy with the arrangement but, asks MARK GALLAGHER, is there more to it than that?
