Raikkonen 'interested in performance' at Monaco not 300-race milestone

©AlfaRomeoRacing

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Kimi Raikkonen is Formula 1's senior citizen and as such the Alfa Romeo driver will enter his 300th Grand Prix this weekend at Monaco.

The Finn started his career in F1 in Australia in 2001 with Sauber - the underlying outfit behind today's Alfa Romeo Racing squad.

Twenty-one wins and a world title constitute the Iceman's credentials, but technically Raikkonen should enjoy his 298th Grand Prix start in Monaco, having entered but not started two races: the US Grand prix in 2005 and Malaysia in 2017.

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Milestones or celebrations are of no importance however to Raikkonen, and as his team's race preview mentions, should F1 plan a special commemoration for the Finn on Sunday's grid, one can only hope it doesn't clash with Kimi's loo break!

"Everyone is talking about my 300th race, but I’m more interested in our performance," insisted the 39-year-old.

"The test in Barcelona was important for us to understand our problems better, but I honestly don’t know how good our car fits to the street course in Monaco."

Alfa Romeo team boss Frédéric Vasseur confirmed that the latest in-season test at the Circuit de Catalunya provided the Swiss outfit with a positive outlook for Monaco.

But Vasseur also stressed that when it comes to F1's midfield, anything goes.

"The tests last week have been promising and I am sure that we’re back on track and going in the right direction again," said the Frenchman.

"It’s interesting to see how the teams battling for the midfield positions hardly get any consistency into their performance.

©AlfaRomeo

"Each track is a new start – especially getting the tyres to work - and sometimes you get it right, sometimes you get it wrong.

"We have our downward blip behind us and going strong into the Monaco weekend."

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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.