"People outside look at us 'what stupid people, what are they doing?'" rues the Ferrari driver
Monday 4 April 2016 14:32, UK
Kimi Raikkonen fears fans must think F1 is full of "stupid people" amid the continued wrangling over rules and politicking in the sport.
The Ferrari veteran's remarks were made after the new elimination qualifying format again flopped on its second running at the Bahrain GP, with the track regularly empty at what should have been decisive moments of the session.
Asked a general question about what drives him to continue in F1, 15 years after his debut, the famously apolitical Raikkonen replied: "It's the driving - it's never been a secret.
"In many other racing [series], all the other stuff is nicer. There is so much politics and bull**** in F1 that it's crazy sometimes.
"People for sure outside look at us like 'what stupid people, what are they doing?'
Conclusions from Bahrain GP qualy
"And I don't think it's good for anybody. But it how F1 unfortunately is and it's been like that for years. Obviously now there are bigger stories about it but if you take 10 years ago there were still politics and it's just an evolution of it."
After appearing to grow tired of F1, former world champion Raikkonen left the sport for two years after being dropped by Ferrari in 2009, moved into first the World Rally Championship and then NASCAR.
However, despite the long-running off-track frustrations, Raikkonen is sure F1 remains the pinnacle of car racing.
"If you want to do racing on the circuit, F1 is still the top level," he said.
"They are the fastest cars. Obviously things can be improved, but if you still want to be at the top of racing on the circuits F1 is still that.
"There are good and bad things in all [of the championships], it depends what you want."
And despite the heavy criticism from elsewhere, Raikkonen was also nonplussed about the qualifying system. "It is what it is. Like it or not, that's the rules," deadpanned the 36-year-old.
