Ferrari fined 5,000 euros for Kimi Raikkonen's unsafe release
Scuderia Ferrari has been fined 5,000 euros after the team sent Kimi Raikkonen out of his pit stall with an unsecured right-rear tire.
The tire had not been securely bolted on, and the Finn stopped on the exit of pit road after realizing that it was loose. He then put his Ferrari in reverse and backed it up into the pits before walking away.
The Stewards investigated the incident after the race and imposed the fine, stating that the team had breached Article 28.13 (c) of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations by releasing the car in an unsafe condition.
The retirement from the race was unfortunate for Raikkonen, who looked set for a fourth-place finish after making his third and final stop of the race.
“Obviously the end result of this race is far from ideal,” said Raikkonen. “It's a pity because the performance of the car today was good. When we changed for Soft tires, for whatever reason I seemed to struggle. The balance was OK but I never really had the grip I was expecting.
“Once we went back to Supersofts the car was good again. When I left the pits after the third pit stop I slowed down a bit and asked if everything was ok because I saw some sparks coming out. At the end of the pitlane the team told me to stop. Now we have to understand what happened, the rear wheel nut had not fitted properly.”
