Wet tyres too vulnerable to aquaplaning - Raikkonen

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Kimi Raikkonen's Brazilian Grand Prix ended in the Interlagos wall on lap 20 when the Finn was caught out by aquaplaning on the main straight on the race's first restart.

Raikkonen had been standing third behind the leading Mercedes duo when the incident occurred and sent shivers down the spine of spectators who feared the stranded Ferrari could be hit by oncoming traffic.

Fortunately, Raikkonen walked away from the fiery crash but believed the treacherous conditions were perhaps not the only cause of the mishap.

"When you do many laps behind the Safety Car it gets even more difficult," explained the Finn.

"It was not raining heavily, but there was a lot of standing water. The biggest problem was the aquaplaning and I got it in a place where I was not expecting it: I spun off on the straight.

"I almost got the car back, but then I went off in a pretty bad place."

Raikkonen pointed towards Pirelli tyres as being partly at fault, believing the extreme wet weather rubber was not up to the task of coping with the hazard of aquaplaning compared to the full wet tyres he had known in the past.

"The wet tyres are very vulnerable, easy to aquaplaning. It obviously depends on the circuit and on many other things, but comparing to some years ago, those tyres could handle this kind of water with no issues of aquaplaning."

Asked whether the stewards had managed the race's incidents correctly with regard to the multiple safety car and red-flag periods, Raikkonen said it was a difficult call.

"They were not my decisions, so it’s hard to say. It’s not raining heavily but there’s a lot of standing water and it’s very easy to go off when we hit it.

"The reasons behind that are hard to say, but looking purely at the conditions they’re not that bad."

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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.