Kimi Takes The Blame For Crash With Giovinazzi At 2021 Portuguese GP!

If you are a hardcore Formula 1 racing fan, then you’d know, there are two ways to describe Kimi Raikkonen at present, one that concerns itself with his persona and the other that meanders into his current woes.

Let’s go for the first:

Kimi Matias Raikkonen- a pure racing enigma. Known as the Iceman, feted world over for his icy cool persona, and still very much the last world champion from the Ferrari stable. A man with no fewer than 103 podiums and 46 fastest laps.

The other being:

Kimi Raikkonen, the man who despite all that experience under his belt, has still not been able to open his account for the 2021 World Championship. Remember we are done with three races!

But depending on who you are, whether an irrational fan concerned with just the ‘has-been’ image, the glory years or the prudent racing aficionado who wishes to dwell in the current, you’d choose your Kimi Raikkonen accordingly.

Though truth certainly is, when there came a chance to file for an actual bid for points, this last Portuguese Grand Prix, held Sunday, May 2, 2021 Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo blew it.

Call it a wild mistake, dub it a rookie error, or call it what most harmlessly do- a racing incident- the lap 2 collision with his own teammate, Antonio Giovinazzi was manufactured erroneously by Kimi Raikkonen himself.

For a whimper of a second, he had been pushed down to P13 by his teammate and perhaps sensing an opportunity to make a brisk pass on Antonio, all that Kimi managed was to contact the rear of the other Alfa Romeo, a move soon after which he’d park his machine to the side of the gravel, retiring minutes thereafter!

And that was that! Another chance was blown to gather points. Though it could be said that the events upon the conclusion of the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix saw the laconic Finn being extended a raw deal- wasn’t a 30-second penalty too harsh on Kimi- at Portimao Raikkonen had himself to blame.

It’s not a pretty sight to see the sport’s most experienced driver go off a race minus any points. This is not only down to the fact that it’s no ordinary punk, but a driver with 17, 680 completed F1 laps as experience.

Thankfully though, akin to the fairness he shows on the track whilst battling the others for the same space on the track, Raikkonen didn’t put any untoward blame on Giovnazzi, putting the blame on himself.

He would say, “Basically it was my mistake, I was checking something on the steering wheel, changing a switch that I got wrong coming out of the last corner so I had to change it again and then I just drove into him, so clearly my mistake.”

While for fans-self included- it was a heartbreaking site to see a glorious driver skate away into the gravel trap at turn 1, it wasn’t any bright whatsoever for his Swiss-Italian stable to see their top man skid out minus any point-scoring. In the end, what hurts more is that despite a fighting P12, Giovinazzi too couldn’t bring home any points.

But the idea that Raikkonen would bounce back strongly is ever enticing, especially with Spain being next destination, the very venue where in a hapless 2020 season, Kimi had made it to Q2 on the much-important qualifying day.

Also Read: Want To Stay On At Red Bull For A Long Time: Max Verstappen!

Even then the question remains with you, the viewer- who’s your Kimi Raikkonen- the bold and honest racer with a heart of a champion who’s out there willing to take chances or the Iceman whose cool, it appears, has begun to melt.

Well, I won’t be taking any calls on that- let Kimi’s forthcoming performances serve an answer! Probably there’s still fight left in the Finnish Sisu.