Formula 1®
Iceman strikes back to drive DHL Fastest Lap in Monaco
Although it wasn’t Kimi’s day, the 2007 Drivers’ Champion didn’t give up, pushing the envelope all the way to end the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend and grabbing his first DHL Fastest Lap of 2014.
“The trick to set the fastest lap in a Formula 1 Grand Prix is a very late pit stop and then getting a fresh set of tires,” says former F1 driver and DHL Motorsport expert, Christian Danner.
Kimi Räikkönen would certainly agree with you, Christian, though after his experience at the FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2014 he might tell you the trick was really a cockpit full of bent up frustration at the end of a rough day.
“The car was handling well and had a good pace” (Kimi Räikkönen)
The Iceman made an ice-cold start off the grid, moving immediately from P6 to P3. Things were looking good.
“The car was handling well and had a good pace,” said Kimi after the race.
Things went downhill when during his second stint he was tapped by one of the Marussia’s behind the safety car, forcing him to pit for a second time. Dropping immediately from P3 to P14, the Finn spent the rest of the race slowly working his way up the field – some nice work considering that Monaco isn’t a passing paradise. With 17 laps to go, Kimi was in eighth place and fighting for more.
Pushing the envelope, he ran wide trying to go inside McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen at the hairpin on lap 74 lap and the two rubbed elbows before getting underway again. The incident, which Kimi was subsequently reprimanded for, forced him to pit yet again.
“This was a very unlucky day for me, a real shame after getting a good start”
With just a few laps to go and on fresh rubber, the Iceman took advantage of an open track a head of him and really put the pedal down. You could almost see the frustration venting out of his car.
His performance at the end was flawless, and in lap 75 the Iceman completed the Circuit de Monaco in 1min 18.479 sec – nearly a second faster than Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.
“This was a very unlucky day for me, a real shame after getting a good start,” he said after the race.
An understatement, Kimi. If you keep driving like you did in the final laps at Monaco, then we’re sure we’ll be seeing you on the podium this year and also in contention for the DHL Fastest Lap!
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