• German Grand Prix - Qualifying

'I almost crashed every lap' - Raikkonen

ESPN Staff
July 21, 2012 « Mercedes stronger in the wet - Schumacher | Maldonado looking forward to dry race »
Kimi Raikkonen qualified 10th at Hockenheim © Sutton Images
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Kimi Raikkonen complained that his Lotus had a fundamental lack of downforce in the wet during qualifying for the German Grand Prix and said he almost crashed on every lap.

Heavy rain hit the circuit midway through the second session of qualifying, and despite being the fastest driver in the dry, Raikkonen's pace relative to his competitors dropped off. In the end he qualified 10th but was nearly six seconds off the pace of Fernando Alonso on pole position in Q3.

"Our car is quick but for some reason we just don't have any grip whatsoever when it gets wet," he said. "It's been a bit similar in other races also but it's definitely worse here. I don't know why but we don't seem to get any downforce and we're just aquaplaning in a straight line and I almost crashed every lap. There's nothing I could have done in the wet to go faster. But our car seems to pretty good and we were happy with it the whole weekend when it was dry."

Raikkonen said he is hoping to move through the field in the race and make use of the lengthily DRS zone at Hockenheim.

"We are not in a very good position again for the race but I know that we have a good car and we will try to get the best out of it. If we get a good start we should have the speed. I think this is one of the easier places to overtake of the year, but first we have to get through the first lap and it's not so easy."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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