Kimi Räikkönen regrets not being on pole in Belgium

Kimi Räikkönen’s last pole position dates back to Magny-Cours 2008, an eternity in Formula 1. Yet, the Finn believed he could aim for such a position during the qualifications at Spa-Francorchamps. He regretted making mistakes during his two stints in Q3: “My first stint in Q3 was very good but I slipped and went off the track. The second attempt was even better but in the last chicane, I had a bit of understeer and lost a few tenths compared to my sector in Q2. Today, I think I had a chance to be in pole position. So I’m a bit disappointed, my time wasn’t good enough.”

Nevertheless, the big question is about the tires, especially for Ferrari, which has chosen to take only one set of medium tires and prioritize super softs with a very limited lifespan. The decision was thus made to set the time in Q2 on softs, which can then be used at the start: « We have decided to start the race with soft tires. If we can make them work, it will make a huge difference. We will see how the race unfolds but I think our plan will work. »

Sebastian Vettel, who has complained a lot about his traction out of the final chicane, is on a similar strategy to his teammate and therefore also hopes to be able to fight for a podium place at the end of the race.

From our special correspondent in Spa-Francorchamps