- Hungarian GP - Race
Raikkonen: I deserved better this weekend
Kimi Raikkonen says he cannot take a great deal of satisfaction from his best result of the season as he was left wondering what might have been in Hungary.
Ferrari's decision to keep Raikkonen in the garage in the closing stages of Q1 meant he was knocked out of the session and started 17th, though he fought his way back to sixth by the end of Sunday's race. Raikkonen knows that decision meant a better finish was always going to be an uphill battle but finds it frustrating nonetheless.
Asked how he felt about the result, Raikkonen said: "Sixth doesn't really give me anything. I think we deserved a bit more, but not after yesterday. I'm here to try and win races, OK it's some good points but it's nowhere near where we want. The car has been feeling pretty OK all weekend but it was a hard race to make any better result from where we started."
After the struggles he has endured this season Raikkonen says he enjoyed racing a lot more than he has done previously.
"It was more fun, for sure. The car was also feeling a bit better so it makes life a bit easier and means you can enjoy it more. It was a fun race. Difficult, but fun. However the big picture does not change from one result. It's welcome to get some points and a bit better result but it doesn't change the fact that we could have scored much better points in some of our races, but always something happens. I'm happy for it but its disappointing overall how things went and we have to make sure we don't make those things [happen again]. There were some signs of improvements and the car is a lot better than at the start of the year but that's normal."
Raikkonen spent much of the closing stages within striking distance of Felipe Massa but he was unable to get past.
"After yesterday's mistakes, problems, at this kind of place it is still hard to pass and we are lacking straight-line speed a bit. I had difficulties getting past a Sauber at the start of the race even with DRS. It was a bit tricky but we managed to gain places. It's hard, we were faster than the Williams but we couldn't get past it and following it for so many laps takes a lot out of the tyres. I had a few times where I got close but it was impossible."
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