Raikkonen - F1 drivers can go as slow as they want at “boring” Monaco

Kimi Raikkonen labelled Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix a “boring race” and claimed the size of the current cars means drivers could go “as slow as you want” because nobody will ever find a way past.

Raikkonen has raced at Monaco 18 times and won with McLaren in 2005, but while the buzz of racing around the Principality is undeniable, he feels the incident-free race highlighted just how tough it is to overtake.

“It’s boring,” said Raikkonen. “I didn’t see anything happening in the race, but that’s how it is at Monaco and it is what it is. In the end, we just try to finish the race, and that’s it.

“I don’t think you learn a lot from it. It’s a very special place. We all know that. We made some places up but if nothing odd happens in the race it's impossible, zero overtaking, but that’s the way it is.

“We come here, this is what we’re going to get. Obviously, things can happen in the race but normally you can go as slow as you want and nobody will pass you because the cars are so wide these days, but it’s always been like that.”

Raikkonen qualified 14th, but started 13th thanks to Charles Leclerc’s pre-race retirement, passed Daniel Ricciardo for 12th at the start and finished 11th after Valtteri Bottas' retirement.

The Finn, who ended up just behind Alfa Romeo team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi, who scored the first points of the season for the Italian outfit, is naturally hoping for better things at the next round in Baku.

“It’s a completely different track, much faster with a longer straight,” he added. “We will have to wait and see when we get there. Hopefully, we can be competitive there.”

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

Fernando Alonso to retire on one condition as 'mental strain' takes its toll

• 21 minutes ago

F1 Race Today: Japanese Grand Prix 2026 start times, schedule, TV channel and FREE live stream

• 42 minutes ago

Toto Wolff gets into awkward interview with Sky Sports F1 pundit: 'We did a setup twerk'

• 1 hour ago

Max Verstappen summoned by Red Bull boss over incident with journalist at Japanese Grand Prix

• 1 hour ago

F1 fans furious after seeing footage of Verstappen and Russell: "This is unacceptable"

• 2 hours ago

What is ADUO? The FIA lifeline that could save F1 teams

• 3 hours ago