Räikkönen (left)
with Giovinazzi:
14 years between
them, but only a
split second on
track at BarcelonaW
ait. Is Kimi Räikkönen smiling? It’s 4.30pm,
Spanish time, on 18 February, and the
notoriously gloomy 2007 world champion
actually looks happy.
He has good reason. Along with Antonio Giovinazzi, his
team-mate at Alfa Romeo Racing (formerly Sauber), Räikkönen
has just completed over 100 laps of the Circuit de Catalunya in
the first session of pre-season testing. Both drivers have clearly
enjoyed exploring the new car, the striking-looking C38.
‘For an old guy it’s a bit hard,’ says the 39-year-old ‘Iceman’,
whose move from career began with Sauber before moving on
to McLaren and then Ferrari. ‘I’m very happy actually. Straight
away I don’t feel an awful lot wrong with the car. Obviously
there are some areas of the package that need work, but it’s
positive. I tried the old car from Sauber and this is a big step.’
While Ferrari is comfortably the fastest on day one of testing
(and the most stable as CAR watches from the fastest corner on
the Barcelona circuit), the Alfa and Renault have both shown
the potential to be the best of the rest behind the familiar frontKimi in an Alfa! It’s
F1’s dream team
Ferrari tech, Kimi Räikkönen and a car as fast as
it is pretty? We’re cheering Alfa on this seasonrunners from Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull.
The C38’s front wing has set paddock tongues wagging
with its unusual design, an unexpected interpretation of this
season’s new aero rules. The car’s been overseen by technical
chief Simone Resta, Ferrari’s former lead designer. Although
the team is renamed Alfa Romeo Racing, its ownership,
management and Swiss base remain the same. Last year’s car
was technically original and it improved more than any other
during the season. As before, Ferrari is the engine supplier.
Alfa is shaping up to be a strong junior team to nurture
drivers for Ferrari’s Formula 1 team in the same way that Toro
Rosso is a B-team for Red Bull. But the aim is to jostle with
the A-teams for podiums, not just compete to be the quickest
losers. Interesting times ahead, with the new season starting in
Melbourne on 17 March.20 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | APRIL 2019