Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikkonen claimed there was “nothing scary” about the fire which cut short his second practice session at Yas Marina despite his radio connector jamming when he tried to escape.
The lead, which plugs into a connection to the right of Raikkonen’s shoulder, failed to disconnect as the Finn repeatedly pulled on the chord whilst the fire intensified at the rear of the car.
The Ferrari power unit had let go with 18 minutes remaining in the session and although the unit would have been changed overnight, the damage caused by the fire could provide difficulties elsewhere within the chassis.
“Obviously, there is some damage but hopefully, it is mainly bodywork,” said Raikkonen, who turned fire marshal as he took over the handling of an extinguisher from a track marshal, steering the nozzle into key areas to ensure it did not reignite.
“It is a different engine and gearbox than we run tomorrow. It is just a bit more work for the guys. Nothing scary about it. It is just a shame that it gets all messed up with trying to put the fire down. It is just one of those things.
