Sky Sports F1 commentary expert Mark Hughes examines the foundations of Kimi Raikkonen's victory in Abu Dhabi and why it took so long for the team to achieve this season...
Tuesday 6 November 2012 17:28, UK
The Kimi Raikkonen/Lotus victory that had looked so imminent early in the season but which never came was finally achieved in Abu Dhabi, round 18 of 20.
"So he's just been thinking about things around local set up and tweaking it here and there. In Q1 here he came in and said it's the best it's been all weekend and we were able to build from there." Fifth quickest became fourth on the grid with Sebastian Vettel's penalty. Fourth became second with a great start. Second became first with Hamilton's retirement. It all looked incredibly straightforward for Kimi, an experienced old hand who's won so many times before. It was understandable that the team was more anxious than he - as confirmed by the radio conversations between them - but the reality was the result was never in doubt once Kimi had been gifted that place. Controlling things from the front is what he was born to do and that flat-line lack of emotion is perfectly suited to such a task. The result could hardly have come a better time for a team in a difficult, transitional time, with recent complex financial hurdles impacting upon operation and morale. The road ahead is clearer now. MH
