Raikkonen unimpressed with points finish at Silverstone

©AlfaRomeo

Kimi Raikkonen scored at Silverstone his third consecutive top-ten finish, but the Finn felt it had been anything but a strong weekend for the Alfa Romeo squad.

Raikkonen spent most of Sunday's race in the thick of the mid-field pack but just outside the points.

The Finn moved up a spot when McLaren's Lando Norris undertook a second pit stop and then gained another position as a result of Sebastian Vettel falling down the order after his mishap with Max Verstappen.

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Finally, tyre wear on Alex Albon's Toro Rosso allowed the Alfa charger to secure P8 and four championship points, but it hadn't been an easy Sunday for the F1 veteran.

"Not the easiest of races, I must say," Raikkonen admitted.

"I think the car was handling quite nicely, especially in the second part of the race, but we were lacking quite a bit of straight-line speed and that was just limiting us.

"My best choice was to get within the DRS of somebody and hang in there, so that no one else could pass me.

"In the end, I waited long enough the tyres run out on the first Toro Rosso.

"I knew it was going to be difficult to keep them behind, but the car was really good around the corners. I had just enough to keep them behind.

"The pass on Albon was into Turn 15. I saw he was struggling more and more with the left side tyres so I waited and passed him then.

"I knew that was the best way because if I passed them earlier they would then pass me back on the straight. In the end, it was a pretty good result."

Raikkonen's weekend certainly ended better than it had started, the 39-year-old hit by an engine issue on Friday that also restricted his mileage.

"I think we’d better check some things up for the next race, as overall it was a difficult weekend with the engine issue on Friday, when we were trying to compare both packages.

"I don’t think we had a very strong weekend, but we managed to get some good points."

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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.