Kimi Raikkonen described his error during qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as “very painful”, as a potential pole position slipped through his fingers.
Raikkonen languished down in sixth place after the first Q3 runs at the Baku City Circuit, having lost time when he straddled the exit kerb at Turn 16, compromising his run to the finish line.
Raikkonen stormed through the first two sectors of his second push lap and was on course to better the provisional pole time recorded by Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel.
In full: Azerbaijan GP qualifying results
But another error through Turn 16 – this time a big sideways moment – proved decisive, and he was left languishing down in sixth position, the first time this year he has qualified off the front row.
“In Q3, on my last run I had a lot of speed and the feeling with the car was really good; I knew I had a very good lap going,” explained Raikkonen.
“Entering the last corner I took it very easily because over the weekend the wind has been quite tricky there.
“But for whatever reason I got a massive snap exiting the corner and went sideways. I was able to get the car back but the lap was gone.
“I’m pretty sure that without that mistake I would have been in a much better position.
“It’s very painful and frustrating to mess it up in the last corner like that, I’m very disappointed. Unfortunately with the mistake we are not in a very good position for the race.”
Raikkonen will be the only driver in the top six to start on the Ultrasoft tyres after his primary opponents all elected to use the Supersoft compounds in Q2.
Raikkonen also used Supersofts in the session but mistakes left him without a time, forcing him to complete a lap on the Ultrasofts to secure safe passage into Q3.
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