Räikkönen acknowledges his mistakes

Kimi Räikkönen brought some excitement to the European Grand Prix today. The Finnish driver was at the center of a problem during his second pit stop, even setting the Valencia street circuit on fire a few laps later.

The Ferrari driver was indeed returning to the pit for his second refueling. Everything went smoothly until the last second when Räikkönen left his pit without having received authorization.

This acceleration ruined his pit stop, with the Finn starting off with the fuel hose, injuring three of his team members in the process, including one more seriously in the head and back. The latter was sent to the medical center on a stretcher, then to the hospital a few hours later for observation.

Räikkönen fully acknowledges his mistake: « There’s not much to say. I returned to the pit lane a little too early. It’s entirely my fault. We will watch the videos to understand my mistake », he told reporters during a mini press conference.

Kimi Räikkönen was then 5th on the track. He lost nearly 20 seconds just for pit stops before retiring a few laps later due to engine failure. The Ferrari V8 engine couldn’t withstand the time spent idling in the pits.