F1: Top Five races of Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari

The Iceman has been in great form in 2018 for Ferrari
The Iceman has been in great form in 2018 for Ferrari

#4 Monaco Grand Prix 2017

F1 Grand Prix of Monaco
F1 Grand Prix of Monaco

Some may actually take to an offence by the mere mention of the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix.

For this was the race that served a confirmation, at least, to Raikkonen's die-hard fans, about Ferrari indeed treating him as a second-rate driver and someone who could be conveniently backstabbed, if you like.

On Saturday's important qualifying session, the Finn bagged a pole. This was an impressive feat for the simple reason that Raikkonen's form hadn't been all that great and he had been driving under a lot of pressure, his performances constantly being critiqued vis-a-vis Ferrari's main man: Sebastian Vettel.

Coming to Monaco at the back of a DNF at Spain, a track where Raikkonen's results over the years haven't really been all that impressive, Ferrari wanted the Iceman to perform.

And so he did. In going at a really quick 1:12:178, Raikkonen responded to the expectations one had of him and put his Ferrari on pole.

His teammate and Bottas would follow Kimi.

On race-day, given his impressive qualifying run, basically, everybody expected Kimi to win and he should have. Just that right in the middle of the race, around Lap 33, Raikkonen, going well on the old tyres was asked to pit for fresh rubber.

This was sudden and meant only one thing: that Sebastian Vettel was to be handed the lead of the race and that is exactly what it happened.

In the end, as Raikkonen exited the pits at the start of Lap 34, he had the tail of the other Ferrari in front, a car he wasn't able to pass.

If anyone needed a proof of how Ferrari robbed Raikkonen of a near-certain win then this was it.

Although, what was impressive about the sight was that Raikkonen didn't allow the fastest man on the grid back then- Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull- to pass him and held on to a second.

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Edited by Alan John
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