OCTOBER 23, 2019

Raikkonen slump a little weird

Mika Salo says fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen's current performance slump is "a little weird".

Mika Salo says fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen's current performance slump is "a little weird".

Alfa Romeo and Raikkonen had a strong start to the season, but both have struggled more recently.

Salo, who drove for Sauber during his own F1 career, told Ilta Sanomat newspaper that Alfa Romeo's late-season performance dip is "no surprise" for a "smaller team".

He also thinks the Hinwil based team's loss of designer Simone Resta, who is returning to Ferrari, will only affect Alfa Romeo "in next year's car".

As for Raikkonen's slump, with teammate Antonio Giovinazzi now starting to get the upper hand, Salo calls that "a little weird".

"I can't tell you why because I haven't followed it terribly closely, but it's strange," he said.

As for the front-runners, Salo thinks Lewis Hamilton will easily wrap up the 2019 world championship, perhaps even this weekend in Mexico or Austin a week later.

Despite teammate Valtteri Bottas' Suzuka win, Salo said of the Finn: "He's driving well, but it's a little too late."

(GMM)