Ferrari: Räikkönen Disappointed by His Driving, Vettel Quite Optimistic
Ferrari remains the pleasant surprise of these first official sessions of the season, confirming their good form glimpsed this winter. However, Kimi Räikkönen thinks he could have done better by focusing more on his driving.
In the evening after the first day of free practice for this Australian Grand Prix, Ferrari seems to position itself as the second force on the grid, battling with Williams, behind the already untouchable Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
Sebastian Vettel (5th and 3rd) and Kimi Räikkönen (8th and 4th) continued to make progress throughout the day, carried by newfound optimism while remaining realistic: “I’m sure Mercedes is out of reach, we must stay realistic,” declared the four-time German world champion. “The most important thing today is that we were able to run without any problems. It was a smooth day, and I struggle to remember the last Friday I had like this.”
For his part, Räikkönen is rather critical of his driving, which could have been much better according to his statements: « It wasn’t an ideal day. I didn’t drive very well and had trouble putting together consistent laps. We have a better balance on longer runs where the car seems to work a little better. We just need to put things back in place. We know what to expect, and it’s only Friday. We still have work to do. »
