F1: Raikkonen drove like a champion - Arrivabene

Kimi Raikkonen proved his Formula 1 world champion credentials with his performance in the Hungarian Grand Prix, according to his Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene.

Raikkonen and Ferrari got their timing wrong on a rapidly drying track in qualifying, which led to the Finn qualifying 14th. But the 2007 world champion fought his way through the field, challenging Max Verstappen for fifth when he lost part of his front wing after tapping the rear of the Red Bull. It came just one race after Raikkonen signed a new deal to extend his stay at Ferrari until the end of next season.

"I'm very happy because Kimi showed that he was not the last world champion with Ferrari for nothing," said Arrivabene. "On Sunday, he was really, really a fighter."

Raikkonen felt Verstappen's driving in defense of fifth place "was not correct," although the Dutchman avoided investigation by the stewards. But he was pleased with the car's performance and the way the team responded following a poor qualifying.

"I had a very good car but unfortunately after Saturday, we were in a position where we couldn't really get the results that with the car and what we had, we could've done," he said. "We knew when we started the race that it wasn't going to be easy.

"We did more of less the maximum we could. If I'd managed to get past Max it would've be better but that didn't happen, so we ended up sixth. It's a bit disappointing in that way because the car was working well and nice to drive and more or less what we could expect."

Originally on Autosport.com