Kimi Räikkönen: “Our focus is fully on Austria and not on what happened in France”

Kimi Räikkönen says his attention has quickly turned to the Red Bull Ring ahead of the double-header after a disappointing weekend at French Grand Prix that saw the vastly experienced driver finish outside the points.

Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN’s driver started seventeenth on the grid at Paul Ricard circuit, and it didn’t look any brighter once 4pm arrived on Sunday, as Räikkönen failed to make any ground and finished how he started.

However, the 41-year-old has a double-header in Austria to quickly banish that race from memory, saying that all his attention is on Styrian Grand Prix, hoping to deliver points on a momentous weekend for Alfa Romeo as they celebrate its 111th birthday.

“Our focus is fully on Austria and not on what happened in France,” Räikkönen said. “We have learnt our lessons and we are now determined to do better. Austria is one of those tracks that look easy but are not: it’s short and there are only a few corners where time can be gained or lost, which means each of them is crucial for the laptime.

“Managing the traffic, both in qualifying and in the race, will also be a key factor but, in the end, that will be the same for everyone.

“I hope we get to score points on this weekend, it’d be a nice birthday present for Alfa Romeo. In the end, we need to do a better job than our rivals and then we will have the chance to score points.”

Antonino Giovinazzi – “Austria is a track I like, one where I have some good memories”

Team-mate Antonino Giovinazzi has enjoyed some brilliant results in the last two years at the Red Bull Ring and hopes to add better memories over the double-header.

The Italian driver achieved his first point in Formula 1 at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix, and in 2020, he brought home a ninth-place finish.

So, it’s no surprise to hear Giovinazzi looking forward to racing at the circuit for the next two weeks, with the special occasion for the team’s 111th birthday adding further motivation heading into this weekend.

“Austria is a track I like, one where I have some good memories: I scored my first point there, in 2019, and in 2020 I brought home ninth place after a quite exciting race. I am keen to add to these moments and I am looking forward to racing there twice in two weeks,” Giovinazzi said.

“I find you can really get into a rhythm and build on each session and I feel you can really extract the most from yourself and the car.

“We have been doing better in most of the recent races and I can’t wait to get back in the fight for the top ten on Sunday. Alfa Romeo’s 111th birthday is the extra bit of motivation we need to do well and we can’t wait to celebrate in style.”

Credit: Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN