Kimi Raikkonen admits Ferrari waited a little too late before starting their push to catch eventual race-winner Max Verstappen at the Austrian GP.
The Finn enjoyed one of his most competitive races in some time in Spielberg, as he challenged the two Mercedes’ into the first corner, but a few mistakes proved critical allowing both Red Bulls past and dropping down to fourth at one stage.
Later retirements for Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo pushed the 2007 world champion back upto second, however, he would come just short when trying to challenge the Dutchman, finishing just 1.5 seconds behind at the checkered flag.
“The car came very good but we ran out of laps,” Raikkonen commented afterwards. “I think we took it [too] easily for too long. It’s a shame but we had a great car today in the end.”
It was the 38-year-old’s bold move at the start that many will remember, as Kimi got a better start and tried to go between the two Mercedes’ on the run to Turn 1, inside the cockpit though, he acknowledged some anxiety.
“I had to back off a little bit because they were going to squeeze together, my decision was already gone there,” he explained.
“I was scared I was going to be hit but after that we ran wide and lost places.”
With teammate Sebastian Vettel running close behind in third, some did wonder if Ferrari would consider team orders to benefit the German in the championship.
Vettel himself insisted there was no desire to make what would have been a controversial move and even Mercedes boss Toto Wolff praised the decision not to.
“We wouldn’t have and I’m not surprised that they didn’t,” the Austrian told Autosport. “I think for the sake of the sport and the fans and the drivers, at that stage in the season, the beginning of July, switching drivers is quite a brutal call.
“Obviously towards the end of the season, if you go into the last third of the championship and you see there is a solid advantage for one of the drivers, this is the unfortunate situation within any racing team that you need to look at the situation.
“But not now.”
