Kimi Raikkonen says there is more than just the Ferrari engine holding the Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team back, but admits that the Swiss team’s aerodynamic problems are “not an easy fix”.
Alfa Romeo only scored two points in a crazy Austrian Grand Prix thanks to Antonio Giovinazzi’s ninth place, which otherwise proved to be a difficult start to the late 2020 season.
Raikkonen showed significant improvements in qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix as he advanced into the second quarter and qualified in 14th, despite not being able to convert that pace into his first points of the campaign.
While all three Ferrari-powered teams – Ferrari, Haas and Alfa Romeo – battled for a straight-line performance in 2020, there are more pressing areas the team needs to improve on, according to Finns.
“Obviously we are too slow”, Raikkonen admitted before the Spanish Grand Prix.
“Where did we go wrong? I think when we designed the car. We were hoping that, like where we started last year, we were obviously much better off when you compare it to all the other teams.
“This year we are definitely not where we hoped to be where we expected it to be. So something went wrong.
On the subject of matching items
“We have to improve the downforce to get an efficient downforce. The engine is the most difficult, but it is who it is. Even if we had the best car and chassis, we should be up there, but obviously we aren’t, so we need to improve on this side.
“Obviously, the tricky part is always that it’s not an easy fix,” he added. “It’s not the quickest solution. It takes time. But hopefully, one step at a time, we can start turning it around and getting to where we want to be.
“We need more aero, more efficient aero, and we drive faster around every corner. The balance can be quite good, but the lap time isn’t there. That way, it’s pretty easy to tell what we need.
On the subject of matching items
“But the hardest part of all of F1 is probably the aerodynamics. So it’s not an easy solution. “
The Swiss team occupies eighth place in the constructors’ championship with two points ahead of Haas and will start next weekend in Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix.
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