21 podiums without a win: Raikkonen extends his record

2017 Brazilian Grand Prix stats and facts

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Kimi Raikkonen notched up his seventh podium finish of the season in Brazil. But while team mate Sebastian Vettel won the race, his fifth victory this year, it’s been a win-less campaign so far for the 2007 world champion.

Raikkonen hasn’t stood on the top step of the podium since the opening race of 2013. Since then he’s made 21 visits to the podium, all in second or third position. This is a record, five more than any other driver in F1 history:

Most consecutive podiums without a win

Driver Podiums Races
Kimi Raikkonen 21 2013 Chinese Grand Prix – 2017 Brazilian Grand Prix
Jean Alesi 16 1995 British Grand Prix – 1998 Belgian Grand Prix
Rubens Barrichello 15 2000 United States Grand Prix – 2002 Canadian Grand Prix
Mika Hakkinen 15 1993 Japanese Grand Prix – 1997 German Grand Prix
Eddie Irvine 15 1995 Canadian Grand Prix – 1998 Japanese Grand Prix
Patrick Depailler 15 1974 Swedish Grand Prix – 1978 United States Long Beach Grand Prix
Jean Alesi 15 1990 United States Grand Prix – 1995 San Marino Grand Prix

Raikkonen’s podium was the 91st of his career. Vettel scored his 98th, which moves him ahead of Fernando Alonso into fourth place on the all-time list.

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It was Vettel’s 47th win and it means Ferrari now have 47 more wins than F1’s next most successful team, McLaren. It was their 11th Brazilian Grand Prix win, one less than the record which is held by McLaren.

This was the eighth race Mercedes failed to win this year. Though they’re still the team to beat it’s another sign that the fourth year of the V6 hybrid turbo regulations has been the toughest yet for them: They’ve lost as many races in 2017 as they did in 2014, 2015 and 2016 combined.

Vettel added to his collection of near-misses on Saturday when Valtteri Bottas beat him to pole position by 38 thousandths of a second. He also narrowly missed pole in Spain (by 0.051s to Lewis Hamilton), Monaco (by 0.043s to Raikkonen) and 0.042s in Austria (to Bottas).

Bottas therefore took the third pole position of his career, giving him as many as Jose Froilan Gonzalez, Tony Brooks, Dan Gurney, Jean-Pierre Jarier, Jody Scheckter, Elio de Angelis and Teo Fabi.

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Max Verstappen took the fastest lap of the race, establishing a new lap record. It’s only the second fastest lap of his career, both of which have come in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Brazilian Grand Prix in pictures
Hamilton’s qualifying crash meant he had to start from the pits. Having effectively lined up 20th, he emulated Vettel’s 16-place climb to fourth position which is the most places any driver has made in up a race all year long. He scored points for the 24th race in a row, tying the second-longest streak of all time with Michael Schumacher. He needs three more to reach the all-time record held by Kimi Raikkonen.

However Esteban Ocon’s record of most consecutive finishes from the start of an F1 career came to an end when he was taken out by Romain Grosjean on lap one. Incredibly, this was Ocon’s first retirement in any series since his race-stopping collision with Tom Blomqvist at the start of the 2014 Macau Grand Prix. Since then he had done 45 single-seater races without retiring: An entire 18-race season of GP3 plus his first 27 F1 races.

Renault’s power unit problems and their troubled relationship with Toro Rosso was a major talking point ahead of the race. No driver had been hit harder than Brendon Hartley, who in his three-race F1 career to date is yet to start a grand prix without having taken a power unit grid penalty.

Review the year so far in statistics here:

Have you spotted any other interesting stats and facts from the Brazilian Grand Prix? Share them in the comments.

2017 Brazilian Grand Prix

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Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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41 comments on “21 podiums without a win: Raikkonen extends his record”

  1. The 2nd time this year that the fastest 2004 race lap has been beaten in race conditions, i.e., an official lap record from that season has officially been beaten. Also for the 2nd season in a row, Verstappen started this race from fourth on the grid.
    – Hamilton is now the only driver who’s reached the chequered flag in every race so far this season, i.e., he’s the only one who holds a 100% finishing record so far this season.

  2. Michael Brown (@)
    13th November 2017, 13:24

    Hamilton has finished the last two races outside of the podium. The last time he had consecutive non-podium finishes was in the 2017 Azerbaijan and Austrian Grands Prix.

  3. @krichelle made this point on another thread:

    Kimi [is the] only one from the top 6 to not win a race this year.

    1. Well, don’t forget he was denied at least two wins by his own team, Monaco + Hungary, and possibly more……

    2. @phylyp Don’t forget: KR would have won Monaco and Hungary(the latter with ease) without Ferrari’s intervention. Plus most experts agreed that had he been able to start in Malaysia then he’d be the vast favorite to win it.

      1. Proof?!?! Ah, sorry, there’s no proof at all!

        It looks like many of you didn’t learn anything this year: it’s one thing to be a lot faster than the car in front… a completely different story when it comes to overtaking. We had quite a number of examples, HAM not being able to overtake VER in Hungary and RAI in Interlagos, although a lot faster, being just 2 examples. RAI showed just glimpses of top performances, there was no GP where he looked like he’s on top of things from Friday morning to Sunday night. He simply “lost it”, simple as that.

        1. Three podiums in a row, among a few more this year. That’s hardly proof that a driver “can’t get on top of things” especially that he was denied three race wins in 2017. Prejudice can lead to blinkered views sometimes…

        2. Seven podiums this year = “still got it”

        3. Raikkonen’s can’t win in his overcompetitive car, but his biggest problem is his teammate Vettel is so much faster than he is. That’s a fact Raikkonen fans can’t deny. Almost same story for Bottas.

          Let them prove their skills in a Haas and Williams and leave their seats to drivers like Magnussen and Ocon, who quickly will prove themselves and give the old WC’s some real competition. It can never be worse and it is much cheaper.

          1. It is not a fact, merely opinion, so no point denying it :)

        4. Raikkonen’s can’t win in his overcompetitive car, but his biggest problem is his teammate Vettel is so much faster than he is. That’s a fact Raikkonen fans can’t deny. Almost same story for Bottas.

          Let them prove their skills in a Haas and Williams and leave their seats to drivers like Magnussen and Ocon, who quickly will prove themselves and give the old WC’s some real competition. It can never be worse and it is much cheaper.

        5. If you look at it, Kimi actually lost four wins this year – two-and-a-half because of the team and one because of sheer bad luck.

          Malaysia. Half a tenth off Hamilton in quali in a car that was several tenths quicker than both Hamilton and Verstappen in the long runs on Friday. Pretty clear win lost there.

          In Monaco – outqualified Vettel and got to the first corner first so able to control the race, only to be denied the chance of winning by being pitted with only half a lap’s warning (so he didn’t have time to rebuild a gap whilst he was controlling the pace) and into traffic – whether it was deliberate or just an honest mistake by Ferrari is debatable, but he clearly lost the race through the team’s strategy mistake and not because of a lack of speed. Don’t forget, despite being 0.5s off in quali (and slower in the race up to the pitstops), Ricciardo also sneaked past Verstappen using the same strategy as Vettel.

          Hungary – again, ordered by the team to protect Vettel. Whether he would have passed him is debatable (though likely given how close he got without passing). In fact, had he not screwed up sector 2 in Q3, he would have been on pole anyway and probably won, as he was . 50/50 between team and his own mistake on Saturday.

          Baku – Raikkonen was way ahead of the eventual winner Ricciardo and second-place man Bottas before he picked up Ocon’s debris and was forced into retirement. Just very back luck.

          I know this is a game of what-ifs, but these are all clear wins lost that weren’t Raikkonen’s fault. If even two of these had been converted, there’d be no question of him being retained for next year.

  4. Hamilton’s getaway from the pit-lane set a new record for most consecutive race starts (207), one more than Nico Rosberg.

    1. Hamilton has now led 113 races for at least 1 lap, 29 behind the record-holder Schumacher, which incidentally is the same number he needs to match the German’s win tally of 91.

  5. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
    13th November 2017, 13:59

    Where is Hamilton’s point scoring streak in the records? Isn’t he coming close to Raikonnen’s record?

    1. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
      13th November 2017, 14:01

      Sorry @keithcollantine I should have read the whole article before asking ;-)

  6. Hamilton led a race while starting form the pitlane. This feat was last done by Lewis himself in 2014 (I think German Grand Prix).

  7. This is the last daytime race without the halo

    1. RIP Cockpit cam F1 2018… i use cockpit cam on f1 2017…

      1. @krichelle Imagine that – theyre going to put it into the game. It will be as dreadful there as in real life!

    2. I don´t think Halo will be there forever.
      They might introduce something new soon or later.

      :P

  8. Thanks to a Ferrari engine winning the race Interlagos remains a track where only Ford ever won four races in a row, being the first four Brazilian GPs. Renault did three in a row twice, and Mercedes could’ve done a fourth one this year. Ferrari did so too between 2006 and 2008 and 1976 and 1978.

    Haas passes Super Aguri as the 8th team with most starts without a podium. Next up is Zakspeed with 54, two more after that and they match HRT and Caterham. Long way to go to match Minardi with 340 though.

    With Verstappen’s fastest lap Red Bull is on 54, one off Mercedes. Ferrari holds the record with 244.

    This will be the first season in the hybrid era Mercedes won’t score 700 points or more. Something only Mercedes has done.

    1. @flatsix I think that Haas could get the odd podium, on the chance that others are struck with issues and either Magnussen or Grosjean can get it together on that day. They may be a bit inconsistent but when they get it together they have serious pace. I think Haas won’t get up to Minardi Mediocrity.

  9. The track record is interesting as it has implications for 2018. A Red Bull with a ‘turned down’ Renault engine was significantly faster than the field. Fresh tires are significant of course, but imagine that chassis with equivalent power to Mercedes and Ferrari next year. McLaren may also lay claim to good cornering speed this year; it will be interesting to see which of these two comes out on top in 2018 and whether Renault can get them closer to the HP leaders. Would be great to have a 4 team contest, not sure that’s ever happened before.

    1. Same as saying imagine a Ferrari or Merc with an equivalent chassis to Red Bull. Actually Ferrari have been quicker than everyone for most the year in aero sections including S2 this weekend.

    2. @scalextric I think next year we would see some ‘Renault was the slowest Renault for [insert number of 2018 races] consecutively this year’ stat.

    3. The track record is interesting as it has implications for 2018. A Red Bull with a ‘turned down’ Renault engine was significantly faster than the field.

      I dont think that is true, given that one lap from Max stood out so much I think it is most likely he turned his engine up for one lap to do it.

  10. So he is there abouts but never good enough to win.

    Kinda like Hulkenberg no podium record.

  11. Hamilton cannot equal his points totals from any of the last 3 seasons.

    First top 5 start for Perez this year.

    Alonso’s best start in his 2nd stint for McLaren.

    Both Stroll and Vandoorne have been passed in the Championship by a team-mate who drove for Ferrari between 2010 and 2012 and who missed a race in 2017.

    Hamilton is still yet to finish 3rd in a race this year, but has finished 4th 4 times.

    First time since Singapore that Red Bull have not led a lap.

    Vettel has passed Senna for 3rd in all-time laps led.

    First time since 2013 that Raikkonen has managed 3 consecutive podiums.

    The two drivers with the most F1 starts before their first DNF both saw their streaks end with a lap 1 collision with a French driver.

    The Interlagos circuit, officially named after a driver who died in ’77, opened 77 years ago, and saw car #77 start on pole this year.

    First time Ferrari have won the 19th race of the season.

    First time Ferrari have won a race in November.

    Thanks to magnetimarelli.com, statsf1.com, and formula1.com for some of these.

    1. The last one would have been the most interesting stat of this weekend, however I just checked it, and it’s not accurate. Gerhard Berger won the last two races in 1987 with a Ferrari, which were both held in November. And Felipe Massa’s win in Interlagos 2008 was also in November.

    2. Several interesting ones, my favourites are the 77 and the stroll and vandoorne being passed by 2010-2012 ferrari drivers who missed a race this season, incredible coincidence.

  12. Who will get their first-podium first, Hulkenburg or Sainz? And if it’s the latter, will Hulkenburg’s head explode?

  13. Only the second race this season (after china) where the first 6 cars where Ferrari, Mercedes & Red Bull.
    & first race since summer break Ferrari & Mercedes 1,2,3,4.

    Second time this year 3 different constructors the last 3 races. Last time it happened was 2013, with the exact same constructors.

    1. Second time this year 3 different constructors won the last 3 races. Last time it happened was 2013, with the exact same constructors.

  14. Here is a silly one that some may have not heard: This weekends first practice session was the first Formula 1 session to have four current FIA world champions taking part-
    Lewis Hamilton (F1), Brendon Hartley (WEC), Charles Leclerc (F2), and George Russell (GP3).
    Thanks Kravitz!

    1. @ferrox-glideh If I’m correct neither the F2 or GP3 crown is a ‘world championship’.

      1. Quite- Four current FIA (non-world) champions. My mistake.

  15. I wonder how many of the “no driver has won Australia” and not gone on to win the championship that year have now been ended. As there was such a swing from Vet to Ham, I bet a few of those stats have gone this year.

    There seems to be something like that every year, such as, whoever is leading by a certain point always goes on to win the championship….and every year it surprises me that such a stat still exists..

  16. Corrected a mistake on the Ocon stats: his run of consecutive finishes outside F1 applied to single-seater races only, not his DTM career as originally stated. Thanks to Holls for pointing that out.

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