“I thought I was having good first lap”- Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen on Kimi Raikkonen’s blistering start

Tanish Chachra | 26/10/2020
"I wouldn't even have time for it"- Kimi Raikkonen calls deviation from Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc

“I thought I had good first lap”- Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen reacted to Kimi Raikkonen’s amazing first lap start.

The Portuguese Grand Prix started on a thrilling note when Carlos Sainz was leading the grid with two consecutive fastest laps.

Meanwhile, Kimi Raikkonen’s performance was also a sight to watch; the Alfa Romeo driver was seen climbing the grid positions from P16 to P6 in the first lap itself.

Surely, it was a good exhibition of racing by the veteran driver and nowadays a rare thing to witness by him, as he is into his final few days in the sport.

But still, the current paddock, which once used to adore Kimi in his prime once again had a glimpse of their past hero, and Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen expressed how they felt when Kimi was cruising through the cars.

“I thought I had a good first lap, I passed 3 cars, and then I saw Kimi past me, and I was like alright, maybe my lap was not as good as his,” said Daniel Ricciardo.

Meanwhile, Verstappen also echoed the same thought and even appreciated McLaren cars blistering pace, while also mentioning that Kimi’s presence right behind him kept him under pressure.

“I thought I was having good first lap”- Watch the video.

Watch Kimi Raikkonen’s first lap

Last few glimpses of Kimi?

As of now, it is not clear whether Kimi will stay in F1 or retire after the end of the campaign, but, certainly, he is not here for long now.

Ferrari is aiming to promote its driver academy prospects, and for it, it has to phase out the old guards. Though, in recent past, Raikkonen has refused to comment on his future. Hence, that’s why there is ambiguity around.

Post Edited By: Tanish Chachra
Alfa Romeo Daniel Ricciardo Kimi Raikkonen Max Verstappen Red Bull Renault

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

Don’t miss these