Raikkonen reckons Sainz 'was pissed off' after skirmish

Kimi Raikkonen was on the receiving end of Carlos Sainz's fury after the Finn suffered a skirmish with the Ferrari driver in the closing stages of testing on Sunday.

Sainz was on a hot lap and fast approaching Raikkonen when the latter took his line into Sakhir's Turn 10, straight into the lunging Ferrari's path but unaware of its presence.

The pair narrowly avoided contact as they veered off course, but the move clearly stirred up Sainz who hounded Raikkonen all the way back to the pits.

"I had zero idea he was there, saw him at the last minute and pulled right, but I don’t know," Raikkonen said. "I guess he was pissed off and tried to play games, but I don’t think we touched — I didn’t feel anything."

Apart from his inconsequential run-in with Sainz, Raikkonen enjoyed a solid final day of running in Bahrain, with a busy morning devoted to long runs and a race simulation, followed by an afternoon centered on performance runs that left him P4 in the final pecking order.

"It was a positive day from a work point of view," explained the Iceman. "We got all we came here for and now we just have to see where we are when we’re back here racing in two weeks.

"Times in testing don’t mean anything and, right now, we don’t know how all the other teams are performing. But we know how our car does, and feeling wise, it is better than last year.

"I guess we are faster than at our best at the end of 2020, but whether that translates into a better performance in the races, that we will have to see."

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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.