No less than Kimi Raikkonen had confronted the NASCAR Cup expertise as soon as earlier than, arriving on the Circuit of the Americas having been booted out of final yr’s race at Watkins Glen and into the tyrewall, so a minimum of he knew what he may anticipate.
Fellow F1 world champion Jenson Button joined him at COTA, they usually had been shortly lapping at a good tempo in follow and qualifying – the place the pair had been separated by simply 0.033s – however would begin outdoors of the highest 20.
However when it got here to the racing they had been just about blown away.
The starkest instance was Raikkonen’s perfectly-timed closing pitstop that rocketed him to fourth with 9 laps remaining. Having stored his nostril clear all day, with barely a scratch on his Trackhouse Chevrolet Camaro, the Finn selected to restart on the surface lane in fourth, moderately than lose a place however acquire the all-important inside line for the lengthy, uphill run to Flip 1.
Jenson Button leads Kimi Raikkonen at Austin
Picture by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images
There, he braked with the frontrunners, however when he turned in, Denny Hamlin had dived to his inside to make it three-wide, and Daniel Suarez – his team-mate – briefly obtained into the rear of him earlier than backing out.
And who took the fifth spot at that restart? Tyler Reddick, who timed it to perfection and lunged down the within to assert the lead. He went on to win the race…
That despatched Raikkonen again to eighth, however he’d learnt a helpful lesson – dropping a spot to restart ninth however on the within lane subsequent time. The primary nook labored out a lot better for him, however then he then discovered himself four-wide at Flip 2 and obtained pushed again to 11th. After rubbing doorways with Joey Logano by the Esses, Raikkonen was shuffled out once more, ending the subsequent lap in 17th.
After one other yellow, the 2007 F1 world champion had clearly had sufficient of going backwards and piled into the again of Ryan Blaney on the subsequent restart at Flip 1, spinning him out. Raikkonen obtained again to 12th by selecting the surface lane for the subsequent restart, however the punter quickly turned the punted; he obtained spun additional across the lap and would finish his day manner in 29th.
“They stored coming, getting extra restarts and extra restarts, so I believe after the spin I had, the tyres had been simply performed,” he mirrored afterwards. “It’s a disgrace, as a result of we had been there [inside the top 5], however then we restarted, and simply mistaken place, mistaken time.
Kimi Raikkonen, Trackhouse Racing, and #91 crew chief Darian Grubb
Picture by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images
“We obtained unfortunate with the incidents that occurred. It was a kind of issues, sadly. It appeared such as you’d be superb, then three corners later, anyone’s going the mistaken path. There’s a little bit of mess and luck concerned.”
Button solely rose into the highest 20 for the ultimate restart and battled his option to a really respectable 18th by the chequered flag – outstanding given the actual fact he stopped twice within the pits within the second half of the race to obtain water and ice luggage as a result of he thought he was going to lose consciousness within the automotive.
“The motion is superb, I’ve to provide it to those guys,” mentioned Button. “The primary 10 laps, they simply destroyed me. Left me standing. Each time I used to be in a nook, I had somebody overtaking me.
“The primary stint was actually dangerous – it was embarrassing for me. It felt mistaken, I used to be driving in a race the place nothing’s pure. I took some time to be taught the racecraft. And I hadn’t raced for 3 years, and I’ve by no means hit a automotive… deliberately.
“I used to be like [on the radio] ‘All proper guys, we have to pit, freshen the tyres and I want some air – I want some recent air.’ I obtained that. The tempo was good, consistency was good. I used to be actually pleased and handed a couple of automobiles, which was good.
“Within the [next] stint I’d had a whack from Kimi, and it simply felt so oversteery, I simply went backwards. I want to enhance some issues within the automotive, however I loved the tip. I obtained it mistaken on the final restart, however I made up 5 or 6 locations on the final two laps.”
Aric Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing and Jenson Button, Rick Ware Racing, Mobil 1 Ford Mustang
Picture by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images
Button’s subsequent occasion would be the Chicago Road Race in July, so he has a while to work together with his Rick Ware Racing crew to get him extra comfy in his Ford Mustang.
“It was so scorching,” he added. “I don’t have a fan in my seat, which actually didn’t assist me an excessive amount of. I used to be so near getting out of the automotive, as a result of I assumed I used to be going to faint.
“I need to’ve drank eight [or] 9 bottles of water in the course of the race. The crew stored me calm, and it’s the rationale why we obtained a superb consequence in the long run. So, I used to be pleased.”
It wasn’t simply the F1 guys who discovered the going powerful: Corvette’s IMSA ace Jordan Taylor, in for the injured Chase Elliott at Hendrick Motorsport, starred by qualifying in fourth, however this street course ringer tumbled within the early going after flatspotting a tyre.
He rallied to the perimeter of the highest 10 on the closing restart however obtained concerned in a conflict with Aric Almirola that dropped him to 24th on the end.
“We had nice velocity all weekend,” mentioned Taylor. “It’s simply too dangerous our finish consequence didn’t replicate that. I used to be a bit too cautious to start with and had a few errors that set us again early on.
“I assumed defending the automotive was the correct factor to do, however I discovered fairly shortly that it’s important to brace for influence on restarts and hope you in some way come out in a single piece, driving in the correct path. You virtually needed to be the aggressor to not get smashed within the again.
Jordan Taylor, Hendrick Motorsports, UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing, MoneyLion Toyota Camry
Picture by: Jared East / NKP / Motorsport Images
“I don’t know who it was [at the final restart], however they had been by no means going to make the nook and used us as their brake. We positively had the potential for a prime 10.”
As regards to the strong racing, he added: “Guys don’t actually plan on making clear strikes. I kinda anticipated it to be a bit extra respectful but when they see a gap they use you to get their automotive stopped. It’s simply an expertise factor.
“Too dangerous it didn’t go our manner – disenchanted with our consequence however happy with our effort.”
Even seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson discovered it powerful: He didn’t make it so far as lap two, after being worn out by Ty Dillon spinning into him on the strategy to the ultimate nook of the opening tour. His Camaro was too broken to proceed.
“It’s actually disappointing however it comes with racing, it’s a part of it,” mentioned Johnson. “Sadly, we didn’t have a superb day in qualifying [he started down in 31st] so we had been across the wrecks, so these issues can occur. It’s unhappy that we didn’t take one lap underneath inexperienced.”
Whether or not it’s in your first Cup begin like Button, or your 688th like Johnson, protecting out of hurt’s option to get a powerful end is what makes NASCAR street racing one in every of motorsport’s biggest challenges – whoever you’re or no matter you’ve achieved.
Jimmie Johnson, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, Membership Wyndham Chevrolet Camaro
Picture by: Rusty Jarrett / NKP / Motorsport Images