Q. That looked a very difficult race? Kimi Raikkonen: We only really made one mistake, which was to choose the wrong tyres. We didn't really expect it to start raining so at the first pit stop we kept the old tyres. So, until that point we had the speed and the car to win the race. But that mistake cost us unfortunately, but at least we scored some points. It wasn't as competitive as the car could have done, but it definitely could have been better. Q. Did you suggest to the team to change the tyres? KR: No, it was the team's decision. Everyone is involved with the team so we make the decisions together. Sometimes you get it right, but unfortunately today there was one of those times we didn't. It could have gone in any direction and we had a very good speed at that point. But at that point it started to rain and the tyres were pretty old already so there was nothing to do. Q. The championship is now very close at the top. What do you expect from the second part of the season? KR: The last four races haven't been easy for me especially. We haven't had one good race. The last race we had a good speed but unfortunately I had a problem with the car, so if you look after all those things not scoring in two races and not really having a perfect race in the next two, we are still tied in the championship lead so it is not too bad. I am pretty sure we have a car to win races, there are many races to go and we just need to push hard. I think once we get everything running smoothly we should be up there winning races. Q. In the early stages of the race you were quicker than Hamilton. Was the Ferrari the best car on the track today, if you ignore the situation with the tyres? KR: I always believe we had a good car. It is not that our car is suddenly bad. We made one bad decision with the tyres and it cost us a lot. We had a very good speed until that point and it was easy going. Unfortunately it was just bad luck. Q. Now there are three drivers tied at the top of the championship, does this mark a fresh beginning for your title ambitions? KR: Like I said before, the last four races haven't been easy. I had two non-finishes and okay, the last race we had a good speed but a small problem. Here we couldn't get it right, so we are still tied in the lead. It could have been much worse after those four races. We know we have a good speed but we just need to get the weekend going smoothly and things in order. There are many races to go. Even though it has been difficult in the last few races, I think we are in a good position and we have a good speed so we shouldn't get too worried about it. Q. You mentioned the mistake with the tyres, but even on new intermediates the car wasn't quick. Why was that? KR: I was just behind people. We fuelled the car until the end so we were pretty heavy on that point. Also with the rain I went off a few times, once at full speed after the bridge. I just got aquaplaning and luckily got back on the circuit, so I was pretty sure the car was not in the best shape any more. We got it back and it was difficult conditions, and I am sure with the same decision with the tyres we would have been okay and able to fight for the win. Sometimes it goes like this. Q. Championship-wise are you annoyed, or relieved that it could have been worse? KR: Like I said the last four races have not been exactly as we want. But we are still in the lead, so it could have been much more worse. I am not worried about it, I am sure we can get where we want. We just need to get it right at the next race and then we will go from there. Q. Did you do a better job here than the team? KR: No, we win and we lose as a team. Sometimes we make the wrong decision and we need to learn from those. I don't complain to the team and they don't complain to me. I could easily have said to choose other tyres or keep these tyres on, but it is teamwork and sometimes we cannot get it right. We just need to learn from that. Q. When you showed you didn't have the pace of Hamilton after the pit stop, did you ask to change again like Alonso? KR: No. In the end we expected the rain to stop quickly and when it didn't we decided to come in. We were losing too much time, but it is easy to say afterwards that we should have changed all the way back. First of all we didn't expect to have rain and then we only expected it to last a few minutes. In the end we got back to fourth place. It was a disappointing race, but we still got good points and are tied in the lead of the championship so we didn't lose anything. Q. Can you describe for us the fight with Fernando Alonso at the end? KR: It was nice. It is always nice to fight and it was important points for me, but I didn't want to risk too much. For Fernando he doesn't have anything to lose so he can take more risks. So I wanted to for sure get one extra point and in the end I got past him, so that was good. Q. What happened at the start? KR: I got a very good start and I was planning to go between Heikki and Mark, but Mark came on the left and I had nowhere to go. Hamilton got a good start from fourth place and went past everybody, and I really didn't have anywhere to go. I had good speed but had to back off.
I thought Webber and Heikki squeezed Kimi out of a great start, very disappointed in Webber moving over on Kimi and leaving the gate open for Hamilton and then spinning , although he and Heikki were both very lucky to not get clobbered by someone in the field while facing backwards on the track
The team may have decided to not change tires, but when RB was lapping 13-SECONDS quicker than anyone else after going to full wets, Ferrari had Kimi stay out for 8-10 more laps. He could have come in, gotten full wets and more than made up the lost time for the extra stop and finished 2nd. Ferrari dropped the ball big time today.
Its strikes me kind of strange how Weber who is known for being extremely hard to pass, just moves over for Hamilton to blow past him. I guess those english boys stand together.
John, I was thinking the samething, these guys got lucky not to get by someone in the field when they spun.
I would chalk that up to simply being a case of having Ross Braun or not having Ross Braun. Advantage Honda.
i love kimi the more this year goes on. what a ****ing champion with those comments, always cool even though he might be hitting the roof behind closed doors. doesn't give the press anything to go with. same when he won the WDC last year, no bull**** jumping around like a goose, even though that was a schue special , or the hand crab like alonso. kimi's the best
+1000! Q. Did you do a better job here than the team? KR: No, we win and we lose as a team. Sometimes we make the wrong decision and we need to learn from those. I don't complain to the team and they don't complain to me. I could easily have said to choose other tyres or keep these tyres on, but it is teamwork and sometimes we cannot get it right. We just need to learn from that. Now that's a CHAMPION TEAM PLAYER!!!
agreed. just 2 good laps on the wet tires would have made up the pit stop time! ferrari are lucky to be where they are.
+100 I agree that Ross was the reason Barrelofjello did as well as he did yesterday. If Kimi and Massa had had Ross calling their race they probably both would have been on the podium... Massas' problem was likely the result of not running enough downforce. He was not only wheel spinning coming off of corners, but was hydroplaning on fast spots. That is more indicative of not enough down force as opposed to "bad driving". If the back end of an F1 car hydroplanes even God would have a really hard time catching it. Had Kimi come in for an extra stop and gone to full wets he would have made up the time lost in the stop in two laps. After that he would have overhauled Hamilton in short order, or Hamilton would have had to pit for full wets too. Unfortunately they got caught in the middle and did nothing and paid for the mistake....
As the announcers on Speed (aka Fox) said: with RB lapping 13 seconds a lap faster on full wets with a mediocre than the leader with intermediates, it's pretty clear what needs to be done. I think it was Hobbs that said it. My wife can't believe they wouldn't change tires. Guess we underestimate how stubborn the SF team can be sometimes. Recommendation: Nest time it rains just copy what Ross does. Then you can blame him if it doesn't work. Now SF has no one to blame but themselves. Having Hamilton beat your leading diver by over a minute is pretty humiliating. Having your other driver down by two laps is beyond humiliating. Idea: Since Phil couldn't handle the rain with intermediates what would it have hurt to put him on full wets??? I just don't get it.
