“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.
