Kimi Raikkonen conceded he’ll always have the memories of his combined eight seasons with Ferrari even if his final race in Abu Dhabi ended in retirement.
The Finn was the victim of mechanical problems in an eventful first 10 laps, coming to a halt on the main straight and would explain what happened once back in the paddock.
“Unfortunately we had an electrical issue; in the back straight, I felt I was lacking power and then everything shut down,” Kimi said.
“Obviously I’m a bit disappointed. It’s not the way we wanted this last race together to finish. We wanted to do well and I think we would have had a pretty good car for the job.
“It’s a pity but that’s how racing goes sometimes.”
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Even so, the 39-year-old looked back on a solid 2018 season which saw him claim pole at Monza and his first victory in five years in Austin, meaning he leaves the Scuderia as the most recent champion, polesitter and race winner.
“It’s been a pretty decent season, but the four retirements were not in our plans and obviously did not help; we wanted more for sure,” he reflected.
“I want to thank all the Ferrari fans who always gave me a lot of support. We went through good and bad times together, and this makes it all the more interesting.
“Of course we wanted a better finish, but that’s part of the sport.
“We will always have the memories of winning the Drivers’ Championship and two Constructors Championship together,” Raikkonen concluded.
Now the Iceman can look forward to two years with Sauber starting from 2019 while Charles Leclerc takes his Ferrari seat next season.
