The 2020 Formula 1 season was completely shaken up by the Covid 19 pandemic. The tracks have been deleted and added to the race calendar on the left, right and in the middle. One of the circuits added for the season was Portimao, where their very first F1 race was held – the Portuguese Grand Prix. It was a weekend of the unknown as F1 cars had never driven there. But one person took advantage of the route’s unfamiliarity. It was Kimi Raikkonen.
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In the first lap he made up 10 positions. The “brain” orchestrating Kimi’s extraordinary start that day was Ruth Buscombe, Alfa Romeo’s Head of Racing Strategy. She recently revealed how she made all of her decisions and how she prepared Kimi for the brilliant first round.
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Kimi got off to a brilliant start at the Portuguese GP
Kimi started the Portuguese Grand Prix in P16 and made up an impressive 10 positions on the first lap. At the end of the first lap he was on P6. This was only possible because Kimi pursued a very different strategy than everyone else. A strategy developed by Ruth Buscombe.
On the ‘Beyond The Grid’ podcast, Ruth was asked how her work process was when Kimi made the amazing start, whether she expected it and how she reacted to it. Ruth started by reminding them that Kimi was the only car that started with the Softs.
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She explained, “I think the exact success wasn’t in my original simulations, but I think if you start in a position like this, around a track that was a new track or relatively new to the people of the formula 1 in these cars. It is the boldest dream of every strategist, because if you don’t start over with the fastest car, all these unknown opportunities are opportunities. The fact that people didn’t know exactly how the tires were going to work increases the risk / reward ratio. “
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Kimi Raikkonen delivered an equally impressive performance in Sochi
Kimi’s rise from the bottom of the grid to the points was not a one-off event. The Alfa Romeo driver delivered an amazing performance at the rainy Russian GP 2021 in Sochi. Even after starting P16, he finished the race within the points again.
When the first raindrops began to fall in Sochi, he switched to intermediate tires, while everyone else drove dry tires. This game was worth it. Many thought his experience in such tricky situations was due to his rally past, but he rejected this speculation.
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Formula 1 F1 – Holland Grand Prix – Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort, Netherlands – September 2nd, 2021 Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen during the FIA press conference pool on REUTERS / Kenzo Tribouillard
Formula 1 is a team sport and the drivers are usually in the spotlight. But it’s pretty obvious that without a brilliant, hard working team behind said driver, it’s impossible to drive at the highest level in motorsport. Where will Kimi end up in the drivers’ championship with such a great strategist at the end of the season? That remains to be seen.
The post The “brain” behind Kimi Raikkonen’s outstanding start at the GP Portugal 2020 reveals the strategy behind it first appeared on monter-une-startup.
