Among the names of the drivers who took part in the last round of the NASCAR championship in Austin there were also two well-known “European” faces, namely Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button. On a track where he had already raced during their militancy in Formula 1, the Finn made his return to a racing car after participating in the Watkins Glen round last season, when he was forced to retire due to a contact at the end of a race in which, up to that moment, he was doing well anyway.
For the 2009 world champion, however, it was the first appearance in the Nations Cup, a small taste of what he will then experience at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he will race with a modified car representing the NASCAR championship.
Kimi Raikkonen did not get the desired result at COTA, a track where he had won in Formula 1 in 2018, but he still did well in his second start in the NASCAR Cup Series. The 2007 Formula 1 world champion started 22nd in Sunday’s race and raced in the mid-pack for most of the day, especially before stopping a few laps before the end of the second stage, thus extending the first stint.
However, taking advantage of an early second pit stop and a caution coming right in the final stages, the Finn found himself in a perfect position to capitalize and gain several positions on the track until he climbed back into the top ten. What followed Raikkonen defined it as “chaos”, with multiple accidents and several restarts that lengthened the final part of the race. In the end, however, the Finn spun and was also penalized for cutting some corners in the first sector.
At that point he was unable to recover the lost positions, finishing 29th: “I think it didn’t go badly”, said the 2007 world champion after the race. “We were unlucky with the accidents that occurred. It was one of those things, unfortunately. Then there were no more tyres, they were gone. They kept doing restarts and restarts, so I think after the spin I had, the tires were finished.”
“It’s a shame because when we were there, but then we left, we got the wrong place and moment [Raikkonen in una delle ripartenze era sulla linea esterna ed è stato portato largo]. It was about trying not to have any problems in the first corners and every time. It looked like it could go very well, but three corners later someone was going the wrong way. There’s a bit of confusion and blockage.”
Kimi Raikkonen, Trackhouse Racing, Onx Homes / iLOQ Chevrolet Camaro
Photo by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images
Raikkonen hasn’t provided any particular clues about his future in the series, even if the Trackhouse Racing manager has explained on several occasions that, as long as the Finn wants to take part, the #91 car will be at his disposal.
In his first participation in the NASCAR championship, Button also had to undergo an apprenticeship period which put him to the test, especially in managing tires in traffic. The Englishman described his first experience as a rollercoaster of emotions, between crashes and restarts that forced him to always keep his guard up.
“It was a rollercoaster of emotions. It was awful at first. I mean, I had to be last at the end of the race. And I was like, ‘Everyone: Go. I just have to ride and find the rhythm.’ I took a corner too wide, so often. And trying to get the car in the right spot, I got it wrong every time,” Button said of his first NASCAR run, although he has already confirmed it won’t be his last.
![Jenson Button, Rick Ware Racing, Mobil 1 Ford Mustang](https://cdn-2.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0oOEEqo0/s8/jenson-button-rick-ware-racing-1.jpg)
Jenson Button, Rick Ware Racing, Mobil 1 Ford Mustang
Photo by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images
“Usually, if you’re a bit slow in the corners, nobody tries to pass you from the outside. Because they would not be able to make it all the way to the next corner. But here they do. The first stint was really bad, it was embarrassing for me. I said to myself, ‘Right guys, we need to pit, freshen the tires and I need some fresh air.’
“I did it. The pace was good, the consistency was good. I was very happy and overtook a few cars, which was nice,” added the 2009 world champion, referring to the difficulties managing tires in traffic , as he also experienced some nagging balance issues that caused him to struggle with oversteer.
Button, among other things, was also unwillingly the protagonist of a contact with Raikkonen which, according to the British, damaged the car: “I received a strong blow from Kimi. The car was not right. Every time they turned, the rear tires moved and immediately after that I oversteered”.
“It was really difficult, but towards the end we made some good choices by stopping and putting on fresh tyres. I had fun in the last three restarts: I got a good placing and some good overtaking,” she explained. Button will take part in two other rounds of the championship, including the Indianapolis round, in what also represents an “apprenticeship” program before the big round at Le Mans.
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