Kimi escapes but Sutil in trouble at Monaco
Not only did the Ferrari driver conspicuously lack pace on the famous street circuit, he damaged his front wing in one unforced off, and later wiped out poor Adrian Sutil after messing up his braking in the closing stages of the race.
The FIA representatives interviewed Raikkonen about the Sutil incident but ruled that no action should be taken.
When he faced the less forgiving press corps, however, the 28-year-old Finn and reigning world champion was asked whether it had been the "worst race of his life", and why his pace seemed "so far off" the frontrunners, including his teammate Felipe Massa.
"I can not understand how the highest paid driver can have a race as stupid as that," triple world champion and former Ferrari driver Niki Lauda said in his role as a German TV analyst on Sunday.
05/25/08 (GMM) Adrian Sutil's misery continued even after he shed tears in the pits following his exit from the Monaco grand prix on Sunday.
The young German was hailed by many as the hero of the famous street race, as he carried his usually uncompetitive Force India to fourth place in the closing stages.
He was, however, taken out by world champion and former championship leader Kimi Raikkonen, moving many paddock observers to surmise that his and technical boss Mike Gascoyne's post-race visit to the stewards' office was to complain about the Ferrari star's driving under braking for the harbor chicane.
"We have asked the stewards immediately to look at it," Gascoyne confirmed to the British broadcaster ITV.
Raikkonen apologized to Sutil, 25, in Ferrari's post-race document, but it was actually Sutil who was in trouble with the stewards.
The FIA representatives officially warned the Force India driver for overtaking three drivers under yellow flags on lap 13.
"The stewards warn the driver of car 20 as to his future behavior," part of the stewards' statement issued at Monte Carlo read.