United States GP: Raikkonen now focused on keeping third in points
Kimi Raikkonen says he is determined to fight to keep third place in the Formula 1 world championship after what he labelled as an "OK day" at Austin
The Lotus driver looked in contention for a podium finish early in the race after starting from fourth, but as the track got cooler he struggled for pace and eventually dropped to sixth position.
The Finn is now 16 points ahead of race winner Lewis Hamilton with just the Brazilian Grand Prix to go.
Raikkonen, who had won the previous race in Abu Dhabi, admitted it had not been an easy day for him.
"It was an OK day, but not a very easy one for us," he said. "I got a bad start and then I touched with a Force India at the second corner so I lost a few more places. After that the car was OK and I could get past some of the others.
"Unfortunately, when it got cloudy it got too cold so the tyres stopped working and that's where we saw Jenson [Button] get past. Basically, it was a race where we were just depending on the tyres to be in their window.
"I'm still third in the championship and we'll do everything we can to maintain this position until the end."
Team-mate Romain Grosjean also looked strong during parts of the race, but wound up seventh after spinning out while fighting for position with Force India's Nico Hulkenberg.
"Not a bad race but the spin on lap seven was frustrating," he said. "The start was good, the first lap was good and the pace was definitely there.
"I recovered pretty well from where I was to finish P7 and was fighting Kimi at the end which is a positive sign.
"I pushed as hard as I could, so I was happy to bring home some more points for the team."
Previous article
United States GP: Post-race press conference
Next article
United States GP: McLaren Sunday quotes
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
