Kimi reveals cockpit dramas
Although he managed to beat seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher to victory in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, Kimi Raikkonen has revealed the full extent of his struggle to nurse his McLaren to the chequered flag while managing to outpace the Ferrari megastar
Raikkonen set a sensational fastest lap just a few tours from the end at Spa, but says he was battling against a gearbox downshift problem as early as lap 10.
"We had quite a few problems with the [gear] shifting," he said. "Every time when I tried to downshift, the car was just pushing and the gears were not going in, so I was struggling quite a bit with it. Sometimes it worked and sometimes not, and I almost spun off a few times because it locked up the rear end completely, so I'm pretty happy with the result we got in the end.
"For a few laps it was working and then I started to have the problem again so I was changing the switches on the steering wheel at every corner and trying to get some sort of idea how I could manage to push again.
"Actually we have a different position on engine braking, so one of them was working, but that's like extreme, so it's like locking the rear wheels all of the time, so I was using it at the hairpin and into the chicane because otherwise I couldn't stop the car. So that was the only way, and then change the position for the other corners."
Raikkonen is also looking forward to watching a British tabloid journalist living up to his promise to "run naked around Silverstone if McLaren won a race this year".
"I definitely will go and hopefully it is raining heavily, so it will be even more fun!" quipped the Finn. "Let's hope that he will keep his word."
The squandered potential of a 70s F1 underdog
A podium finisher in its first outing but then never again, the BRM P201 was a classic case of an opportunity squandered by disorganisation and complacency, says STUART CODLING
The other notable Monza escape that F1 should learn from
OPINION: The headlines were dominated by the Italian Grand Prix crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who had the halo to thank for avoiding potentially serious injury. But two days earlier, Formula 1 had a lucky escape with a Monza pitlane incident that could also have had grave consequences
How Monza only added more questions to F1's sprint race conundrum
With two sprint races under its belt, Formula 1 must now consider its options for them going forward. While they've helped deliver exciting racing on Sundays, the sprints themselves have been somewhat lacking - creating yet another conundrum for F1 to solve...
Who should Alfa Romeo sign for 2022's F1 season?
OPINION: With Valtteri Bottas already signed up for 2022, all eyes are on the race for the second seat at Alfa Romeo next year. Antonio Giovinazzi is the current incumbent, but faces a tough competition from appealing short and long-term prospects
The "forced break" that was key to Ricciardo's Monza excellence
OPINION: Daniel Ricciardo has long been considered one of Formula 1’s elite drivers. But his struggles at McLaren since switching from Renault for 2021 have been painful to watch at times. Yet he’s recovered to banish those memories with a famous Monza win – built on a critically important foundation
How Verstappen is ruining his F1 title battle with Hamilton
OPINION: The Italian GP clash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen followed a running theme in the 2021 Formula 1 title fight. Their close-quarters battles have often resulted in contact - and although Hamilton has shown a willingness to back off, Verstappen must learn to temper his aggression
Italian Grand Prix Driver Ratings
Two drivers produced maximum-score performances as, for the second year in a row, Monza threw up an unpredictable result that left several others ruing what might have been
Why Ricciardo was set for Monza F1 triumph even without Verstappen/Hamilton crash
The clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton was the major flashpoint the 2021 Italian Grand Prix will be remembered for. Yet by this point, race leader Daniel Ricciardo had already done the hard work that would put him in position to end his and McLaren's lengthy win droughts, on a memorable afternoon in Monza
