Raikkonen plays down Ferrari issues

Kimi Raikkonen has denied that Ferrari have major problems, instead claiming that it was just an off weekend for his team.

Ferrari’s form has taken a turn for the worse after winning the opening two races with Sebastian Vettel at the wheel.

Raikkonen has already had to retire from races twice this season with reliability problems, including last time out in Spain.

On the other hand, Mercedes form has returned, and Lewis Hamilton has won the last two races, propelling him to a 17-point lead at the top of the drivers’ standings.

Raikkonen seemed at ease about this however, telling Formula1.com: “It’s been pretty close so far, but in Barcelona they (Mercedes) seemed to have the upper hand.

“In the race I don’t think it looked as bad as it looks now. For sure they were strong here, but was it from the circuit or something else?”

If it was due to the circuit then we will see the effect in Monaco, a track where Mercedes have struggled in recent years.

Raikkonen continued: “We’ll figure it out, obviously, in the upcoming races. We shall see how it pans out.”