“I rather doubt,” an Italian colleague murmured on race morning at Monza, “that Kimi is going to help Sebastian very much today.” How so? “Well,” my friend went on, “this could be his last chance to win a grand prix – and they’ve told him he’s out…”
Raikkonen and Vettel get along well, which is one reason why Seb has always been keen for Kimi’s one-year Ferrari contracts to be renewed; the other, more significantly, is that if asked, he has long proved willing to ride shotgun, and that really sits well with Vettel.
Right enough, though, at Monza Raikkonen – starting from pole – was clearly in business for himself, and if Vettel hoped for an easy ride at the first chicane, he didn’t get it. Having taken that…