Ferrari should explain Raikkonen spin - Hakkinen

Jun.15 (GMM) Ferrari should clarify the thorny issue of Kimi Raikkonen's Montreal spin.

That is the view of fellow Finn Mika Hakkinen, the former double world champion who thinks there have been mixed messages about the cause of the incident that stopped Raikkonen from finishing on the podium.

Amid intense speculation about Raikkonen's future, team boss Maurizio Arrivabene said immediately after the race in Canada that "We have thrown away a podium, that's the truth.

"There are no excuses," he added.

But Raikkonen, 35, protested that something "odd" happened that caused the spin, such as an engine map setting in use for the pitstops.

Officially, Arrivabene said in the team's post-race statement that the spin is "something we haven't fully understood yet.

"It may be a case of contributory negligence as he (Raikkonen) said the same thing happened last year."

Hakkinen commented: "Overall, the reason for Kimi's spin is still unclear. Ferrari has not said exactly what happened, but they probably should, to stop the speculation.

"In any case, the spin took away the third place, which was easily within reach," he said in his latest interview with Hermes.

Hakkinen said it is possible the engine mapping theory is correct.

"If a driver leaves the box and the car is in a different setting, the team needs to draw attention to it but normally the driver knows," he said.

In reality, it might be argued that Hakkinen is not reluctant to ramp up the pressure on Raikkonen, as today he is involved in the management of another Finn, Valtteri Bottas.

And Bottas, who inherited the Montreal podium due to the spin, is reportedly a leading candidate to replace Raikkonen next year.

"Once again, Valtteri demonstrated his skills. It was the work of a top driver," said Hakkinen.

"We must not forget that Ferrari currently has a faster car than Williams, nevertheless he was able to beat both Ferrari drivers across the line," he added.