Raikkonen can't take the heat

14 April 2012

Kimi Raikkonen's hopes of launching his world championship fightback suffered a massive setback as Formula One welcomed Bahrain to the calendar today.

The Finn's Mercedes engine could not cope with the searing 50 degree Centigrade heat at the desert track south of the capital Manama and blew up during this afternoon's second practice session.

Raikkonen will now automatically be demoted 10 places down the grid from his qualifying position tomorrow because his McLaren team will have to give him a new engine.

The 23-year-old's best starting position this season is only fifth so Raikkonen, runner-up in last year's championship, could find himself beginning the maiden Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday near the back of the grid.

Raikkonen has failed to finish the first two races and cannot afford to see Ferrari's Michael Schumacher increase his already daunting 20-point advantage.

The Espoo-born driver was on his first lap out of the pits today when his engine blew and he was forced to park up with marshals dousing the flames licking from the back of the car.

He is the first top-line driver to suffer from the one engine regulation which penalises teams forced to change their powerplant during a race weekend.

It is another blow to Raikkonen and the McLaren team who have made a disappointing start to the season. They are currently fifth in the manufacturers' standings with just David Coulthard's four points from the opening two races.

Coulthard completed a miserable afternoon for the Woking-based outfit when he spun into the sand trap after his car snapped out of control later in the session.

The Scot, who is being replaced by Juan Pablo Montoya next season, lost his left rear wheel and had to push his car to the tow truck. He wound up 11th fastest.

Schumacher, who had been comfortably quickest in the first session, also had a spin but managed to keep his Ferrari on the circuit.

The German eventually finished fourth but less than 0.3 seconds adrift of team-mate Rubens Barrichello as the Italian team enjoyed another largely trouble free practice.

But Barrichello was only quickest by the narrowest of margins with just 0.001secs separating him from the Williams of Montoya.

Britain's Anthony Davidson recovered from a trip across the bleached gravel to clock the third fastest time late in the session, the BAR reserve driver finishing just 0.028secs adrift of Barrichello.

Team leader Jenson Button was seventh fastest behind Jaguar's Christian Klien and Ralf Schumacher in the other Williams.

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