The Monaco Grand Prix was expected to be a difficult weekend for Ferrari given the pace of the F14 T car, but the team will be disappointed with just one points score after Kimi Raikkonen was denied a possible podium finish.
Raikkonen started alongside teammate Fernando Alonso on the third row of the grid, but made a great start to get ahead of the Spaniard and Daniel Ricciardo off the line. The Finn then moved into third place when Sebastian Vettel retired from the race, and he remained ahead of Ricciardo after pitting.
However, Raikkonen returned to the pits just a few laps later after making contact with a Marussia he was lapping, and dropped down to last place. He fought his way through the order and up into the points, but an opportunistic move on Kevin Magnussen saw both drivers go into the wall at the Loews hairpin.
Raikkonen managed to continue, but had to pit for repairs, and on a fresh set of tires set the fastest lap of the race en route to 12th place. However, the FIA stewards have given him a reprimand for causing the incident with the McLaren driver.
Fernando Alonso had an unusually quiet race, coming home in fourth place. Nevertheless, this result ensures that he remains in third place in the drivers’ championship, and he will be hoping that Ferrari can get on top of the problems with the F14 T in Canada so he can challenge the Red Bulls.
In fact, the result that would have raised the biggest smile on president Luca di Montezemolo’s face is that of Marussia’s Jules Bianchi. The Frenchman finished the race in ninth place, scoring both his own and Marussia’s first ever points in Formula 1.
Bianchi is a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, and this result will undoubtedly put him in good stead for a seat with the team in the future.
At Maranello, though, changes need to be made. 2014 seems to be all about damage limitation, and it will take something out of the ordinary for either Alonso or Raikkonen to take to the top step of the podium this season.
