F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Raikkonen owns up to strange FP2 spin: 'I ran out of talent'

Kimi Raikkonen's second free practice session in Bahrain on Friday was a two-part affair, the first of which was marked by an early spin for the Alfa Romeo driver on an out-lap.

Raikkonen was caught out by his C38's cold and 'shiny' tyres as he exited at slow speed Sakhir's second corner. The Finn made no excuses for the mishap.

"I ran out of talent," he candidly admitted.

"With the new tyres, they are shining and it was a bit slippery in the first corner. I was just caught out."

Unfortunately, the error was just the start of the Finn's troubles in a session thwarted by a cooling issue on his Alfa Romeo that restricted his running to just six laps.

"That was obviously not the plan but what can you do?" Raikkonen said.

"Unfortunately, we had a leak in the cooling system and they almost got it back together, but it was too late."

As a consequence of his limited mileage, Raikkonen was hard-pressed to make any projections for the remainder of the weekend.

"It’s hard to say [where we are] because we didn’t put the second run together," he explained.

"Even the first one, the car felt very good but I didn’t manage a very good lap, so it will be a bit more unknown than if we would have run.

"It would be a bit easier to say but I don’t think it’s an awfully different picture than what we had in the last race.

"It will be very close and if we get good laps in then they’ll give you a very good result. We’ll see after tomorrow."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Stella names rivals ‘a step ahead’ of McLaren after Bahrain

McLaren arrived in Bahrain for pre-season testing determined to defend its status as Formula 1’s…

15 hours ago

Hulkenberg says Audi’s rivals haven't 'pulled their pants down' yet

Nico Hulkenberg has given F1 fans a vivid image to ponder ahead of the 2026…

17 hours ago

Total mileage and fastest laps from F1 pre-season testing

Under the pale winter sun of Barcelona and the desert glare of Bahrain, George Russell…

19 hours ago

Remembering the man who conquered F1's most thrilling win

Peter Gethin, the man who secured perhaps the most thrilling win ever witnessed in Grand…

20 hours ago

Aston Martin’s nightmare: Honda owns up to power unit meltdown

Aston Martin engine supplier Honda has publicly conceded what the timing screens in Bahrain had…

21 hours ago

Piastri explains management shake-up ahead of 2026 F1 season

As the countdown to 2026 gathers pace, Oscar Piastri has reshuffled his inner circle –…

22 hours ago