F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Raikkonen urges Alfa to 'clean up' after 'nightmare' race

Kimi Raikkonen says Alfa Romeo needs to understand its current issues and "clean up" its act after a series of four races which the Finn called "nightmares".

At Sochi on Sunday, Raikkonen crossed the checkered flag a lowly 13th, although the 39--year-old only had himself to blame for the depressed result, have made a false start on the grid that warranted a drive-thru penalty.

"The race was my fault even though in the end we got back in a race with the safety cars and managed to unlap ourselves," Raikkonen admitted.

"Unfortunately we just didn't have enough speed.

"We could just hang on with Toro Rosso, and I got past because they [Kvyat and Gasly] were fighting with each other and he [Gasly] ran wide.

"But we need to understand. The last four races have been nightmares and we need to figure out what's going wrong and where, clean up and understand things.

"I think out of the last races, only at Spa did we have actual speed. The rest has been more or less fighting with it."

©AlfaRomeo

Alfa Romeo Racing team boss Frédéric Vasseur knew from the outset that Raikkonen's afternoon would be a challenging affair, but the Frenchman agreed that the Swiss outfit needs to get its affairs back in order.

"For Kimi, a penalty for a false start meant coming back into the point from the back of the field was a tall order," Vasseur said.

"It has been a few tough races, so we need to regroup and find our groove again for the final races of the season."

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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.

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