Hakkinen Calls on Ferrari to Clarify Raikkonen’s Montreal Spin
Mika Hakkinen says Ferrari must explain the cause of Kimi Raikkonen’s costly Canadian Grand Prix spin, as speculation grows over the Finn’s future with the team.
Mika Hakkinen has urged Ferrari to provide a clear explanation for the spin that cost Kimi Raikkonen a podium at the 2015 Canadian Grand Prix, as speculation continues over Raikkonen’s future with the team.
Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene admitted after the race that the team had “thrown away a podium” and offered no excuses for the incident that dropped Raikkonen out of third place. Raikkonen, 35, insisted something “odd” happened with the car, suggesting an engine map setting used for pitstops may have caused the spin. The team’s official post-race statement conceded they had not fully understood the cause, raising the possibility of contributory negligence since Raikkonen said a similar issue had occurred the previous year.
Hakkinen, a two-time world champion and compatriot of Raikkonen, said the public still did not know the real reason for the spin. “Ferrari has not said exactly what happened, but they probably should, to stop the speculation,” Hakkinen told Hermes. He added that the engine mapping theory was possible, but that normally a driver would be aware of such a setting, unless the team had failed to alert him properly.
The incident has added fuel to ongoing rumours about Raikkonen’s future at Ferrari. Valtteri Bottas, who inherited the final podium position in Montreal, is widely reported as a leading candidate to replace Raikkonen for the 2016 season. Hakkinen, who manages Bottas, praised his driver’s performance, noting that Bottas managed to beat both Ferraris despite Williams having a slower car at the time.
Speculation over Raikkonen’s Ferrari seat
With Ferrari openly admitting mistakes and Raikkonen maintaining there was a technical cause, the lack of a clear explanation has led to further scrutiny of the team’s operations and Raikkonen’s standing. Arrivabene’s post-race comments were notably blunt, but the team’s technical statement was more circumspect, leaving the door open for further questions. The Montreal result has intensified talk of a driver change, especially as Bottas’ stock continues to rise.
Ferrari’s next moves will be watched closely, both for any technical clarification and for signs about their 2016 line-up. For now, the unanswered questions about Raikkonen’s costly spin continue to dominate discussion in the paddock.
For more on Raikkonen’s position at Ferrari, seeRaikkonen Leaves Ferrari 2016 Option in Team’s Hands.
