Alfa Romeo already knew about front wing issue - Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen says Alfa Romeo Racing knew about their front wing issue after the Chinese Grand Prix. The Finn was disqualified from qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after it failed a deflection test after the session.

Raikkonen was forced to start the race from the pitlane but recovered to score a single point in 10th place.

Speaking to media immediately after the race, Raikkonen says the team were aware of the issue after the conclusion of the race in Shanghai.

“I don’t know what happened. I got a message this morning,” he said.

“Last race I had an issue at the end of the race with a broken stay on the front wing and we lost the downforce. Probably it is a similar thing that has caused it, unfortunately.

“We knew the issue after the last race but we didn’t have time to produce a new one so this is what you get. It surely doesn’t make us faster but this is what it is. Hopefully, then it’s fair for everybody."

Despite salvaging a point from the pitlane, the result means Raikkonen slips down to eighth in the driver's championship after a very strong start to the season.