He might be the ‘King of Spa’, but Kimi Raikkonen isn’t raising his expectations for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.
The Alfa Romeo driver has won four times at the iconic circuit, which remains more than any other current driver despite his last success coming back in 2009.
However, Raikkonen is still yet to score after the first six races of this season, and while there was some more promising signs in Barcelona, Kimi sees little reason for that run to end in the Ardennes.
“Spa is one of my favourite tracks and one where I have done well in the past, but previous form matters for very little in Formula 1,” he said in Alfa Romeo’s race preview.
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“Every year is a story on its own and we just have to focus on doing our job to the best of our capabilities. We need to keep working hard to close the gap with those in front of us.
“Everyone has to do their part, in the car and at the factory, to make the most of what we have.”
As for teammate Antonio Giovinazzi, he was set for a strong finish in Belgium last year before crashing at Pouhon on the penultimate lap, a moment that almost cost him his race seat for 2020.
But when he thinks of Spa-Francorchamps, the Italian is reminded of what has gone before at the famous track.
“There are venues that are a part of F1 history and Spa is definitely one of them,” he said.
“When I was growing up, my idol was Michael Schumacher and he had a special relationship with this place, so when you first go out on track on Friday you cannot avoid thinking about all that history.
“Spa is a great track to drive, full of challenging corners: it’s a long layout and you want to keep a good flow throughout the lap.”