Raikkonen: Ferrari suffered thanks to failure to fight for F1 title
Ferrari's failure to mount a serious challenge to Mercedes in Formula 1 led to the team suffering, according to Kimi Raikkonen


The Italian team expected to fight for the championship in 2016, having taken three wins and finished second to Mercedes last year.
But this year proved more difficult, with Ferrari failing to win a race and dropping behind Red Bull in the constructors' championship.
Ferrari finished 70 points adrift of second-placed Red Bull and 367 behind Mercedes after 21 races.
"You suffer and we keep working hard and trying the best we can, but unfortunately the results weren't what we wanted," said Raikkonen.
"Thanks to all the guys, we keep trying things and improving and learning.
"That's why I feel that we're in a stronger position even than the results really showed but as a team we've been working very well.
"If you purely take that, hopefully then next year when we bring the new car it's more competitive and I'm sure we're going to have a good fight."
Raikkonen's form improved this year, with the Finn finishing sixth in the drivers' standings, 26 points adrift of team-mate Sebastian Vettel. Last year, that gap was 128 points.
While Raikkonen was pleased with his turnaround, he was still disappointed with the overall results.
"If I just compare it to the last two years, yes it has been better on my side but then you cannot be very happy because it's far from what we want," he said.
"There were good things, and they did good stuff, but obviously the end result is nowhere near what we want.
"It's happy sometimes, but you have to take it as one chunk - the year - and when we finished where we finished we cannot be happy."

Daniel Ricciardo like an older brother to Max Verstappen - Horner
The perfect Formula 1 car from 2016

Latest news
Foyt changes IndyCar number amid "symbolic references" debacle
AJ Foyt Racing has changed the number of Benjamin Pedersen's 2023 IndyCar entry from #88 to #55, after finding its two cars' numbers held "certain ideological and symbolic references".
Taylor: Reset button will be "worn out" but better than limp mode in Daytona 24
Ricky Taylor has zero worries over the pace of the new Acura ARX-06, but believes the new GTP cars will encounter several sensor issues over the course of the Daytona 24 Hours.
WEC assessing Sebring alternative for US round from 2024
The World Endurance Championship has admitted that it is examining alternatives to Sebring for the US round of the series from 2024.
Wehrlein hails "perfect" Porsche strategy, efficiency en route to Diriyah FE win
Pascal Wehrlein reckoned that Porsche's Diriyah E-Prix strategy and efficiency worked "perfectly" en route to claiming his second Formula E victory.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 ‘holiday’ races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week and, although it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action
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.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.