F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Raikkonen: 'Shitty' points don't tell Alfa Romeo's 'true story'

Kimi Raikkonen believes Alfa Romeo's points tally in F1's Constructors' standings isn't a fair reflection of the Swiss outfit's performance year to date.

Alfa currently sits seventh in the teams' championship, between Renault and Haas, having scored a top-ten finish in eight out of the twelve races so far.

Raikkonen has delivered 31 of the Hinwil-based squad's 32 points, but the Finn believes his team has done better than what its results imply.

"I didn't expect anything," Raikkonen said.

"I came in to do the best that I can, and I think if you look at the points right now, it looks pretty shit. But I don't think it's really telling the true story of the first part of the season.

"For sure around Barcelona, we were not where we wanted to be, we were too slow basically. But before and after that we came back pretty well."

Raikkonen feels Alfa is making progress, even as the team suffers on a relative basis from its limited resources.

"We are going in the right direction and doing the right things, but as a team, we have limitations.

"We are not like the guys at the front, and we know that, we accept it. But for what we have, we are doing good.

"We just want to be faster and to be ahead. Slowly we are building there. It takes time as always. But we're doing pretty okay.

"It could always be better, we haven't always maximised the points, but that's how it goes."

©AlfaRomeo

Alfa's current point tally obviously takes into account Raikkonen and teammate Antonio Giovinazzi's recent demotion from 7th and 8th at the German Grand Prix to P12 and P13 following a 30-second penalty handed to the team by the Hockenheim stewards for a clutch torque infringement.

However, Alfa Romeo has appealed the decision and could recoup its lost points at a hearing scheduled with the FIA in late September.

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Michael Delaney

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