Kimi Raikkonen

Raikkonen: We looked like amateurs!

Matthew Scott Saturday 27 April 2019 11:14

Formula 1 veteran Kimi Raikkonen was far from impressed after Friday's first practice session was lost due to a loose drain cover, saying the sport had looked like amateurs. The Williams of George Russell suffered significant damage after passing over the loose cover.

The drain cover had been loosened by Charles Leclerc running over it, with Russell then helpless to avoid a big incident when he passed it soon after.

FP1 was swiftly cancelled after just 13 minutes of running as the 300+ other drain covers on the circuit required checking. Adding to the slapdash state of things, the truck carrying the Williams back to the pits then crashed into a bridge.

And Raikkonen was typically cutting in his assessment of another crazy day at the Baku City Circuit.

"Obviously it was far from ideal for everybody, and we looked like amateurs here today," Raikkonen said.

"It's up to the FIA to make sure the track is as best as possible. But it seems that every year, somewhere a drain cover comes loose or something flies off.

"They say they welded the drain covers, but obviously that one was far from welded today. It's up to them to go and check them all, there's plenty of people here, but the same thing has happened before here.

"Luckily nobody got hurt, but it obviously destroyed everybody's day, plus for the people who came here to watch the practice. It's far from ideal."

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Raikkonen: We looked like amateurs!

Raikkonen: We looked like amateurs!