Ferrari's recent F1 engine problems 'weird' - Kimi Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen says Ferrari's recent run of engine problems is "a bit weird", after the team lost more ground in the Formula 1 drivers' and constructors' championship in Japan
His Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel started the race second but was forced to retire early on with a spark plug failure while F1 title rival Lewis Hamilton won the race.
The problem comes after Vettel suffered an engine failure in Malaysia that prevented him from doing a timed lap in qualifying, and Raikkonen suffered a similar issue that stopped him from starting the race.
Hamilton has increased his lead to 59 points over Vettel with just four races and 100 points remaining while in the constructors' championship, Ferrari now trails Mercedes by 145.
"It's far from ideal for any of us when we have technical issues," said Raikkonen, who recovered from starting 10th on the grid at Suzuka to finish fifth.
"It's a bit weird because on Saturdays, OK Seb had an issue before qualifying [in Malaysia], but it has been twice now the cars are running fine in qualifying and the next time we go out on Sunday we found some issues.
"Obviously, it's nothing we expect, it comes out of nothing. We have to see why it is happening and fix it.
"It's one of those things that suddenly hits and there's not an awful lot that you can do.
"It's not nice, we have pretty good speed normally but if you don't finish the race, it's no use.
"We have to fix them and find out why lately we have had these issues."
Raikkonen had a poor first lap at Suzuka, losing five positions after running wide when battling the Renault of Nico Hulkenberg before recovering to rescue fifth.
"We did a decent start with the soft tyres and then I struggled to decide which way to go," he said.
"I chose to go outside, I lost one place. I don't know where I came out compared to where we started.
"I tried to make my way through the cars in the first lap. I ran wide trying to pass the Renault, and lost some places, which I had to gain back.
"I had decent speed for overtaking but it obviously wasn't easy. We were just too far.
"The feeling in the car was a little bit tricky all the way through the race, not the nicest balance.
"Some laps were OK, some others a bit more difficult. The final result is far from being the best possible."
Mercedes F1 team urged to sort 'diva' car rather than celebrate
Force India won't back down on Ocon Perez F1 team orders
Las Vegas approves plan to shut Strip for F1 race until 2032
Officials in Las Vegas have approved a plan to shut the Strip for the Formula 1 grand prix for the next 10 years as they eye a “lifetime in partnership.”
Porsche boss “as surprised as anyone” over Gulf-Williams F1 social media frenzy
Porsche’s head of motorsport Thomas Laudenbach found it “funny” that streamlining its Instagram channels caused a Formula 1 social media speculation frenzy last month.
Why Albon won't be "throwing around laptops" to gain a 2023 F1 edge
OPINION: At the Williams 2023 Formula 1 season launch, Alex Albon’s easy-going nature was again a point of focus. But does being “too nice” really matter in modern F1? Albon’s own expressions put that in an intriguing new light
Why Alfa Romeo has kept its blade roll hoop on 2023 F1 car
The Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team has retained its unique blade roll hoop for the C43 but designed it to withstand load tests that the FIA will introduce in 2024.
Why Albon won't be "throwing around laptops" to gain a 2023 F1 edge
OPINION: At the Williams 2023 Formula 1 season launch, Alex Albon’s easy-going nature was again a point of focus. But does being “too nice” really matter in modern F1? Albon’s own expressions put that in an intriguing new light
How the last Sauber-built Alfa offers F1 2023 evolution clues
Alfa Romeo has become the first Formula 1 team to reveal a new car for 2023, in addition to a fresh livery. This offered a first look at some of the understated changes produced by the revised regulations, along with points of convergence in the second year of the ground effect rules
The pioneering F1 car that preceded Lotus’s terminal decline
In the hands of Ayrton Senna the actively suspended 99T would be the last F1 race-winning Lotus but, as STUART CODLING reveals, it was a complicated machine that caused more problems than it solved
How Tyrrell became a racing Rubik’s cube as it faded out of F1
Formula 1’s transformation into a global sport meant the gradual extinction for a small team determined to stay true to its low-budget roots. But Tyrrell would eventually be reborn as a world-beating outfit again, explains MAURICE HAMILTON, albeit in different colours…
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
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.