SILVERSTONE (UNITED KINGDOM) - Kimi Raikkonen said he was relieved to put speculation over his future behind him on Saturday, as his Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel told the team to concentrate on building stronger gearboxes.
Ferrari's Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen (L) and German driver Sebastian Vettel in action at Silverstone on July 9, 2016
The two Ferrari drivers were both outpaced by the Red Bull pairing as they wound up fifth and sixth in qualifying, with four-time champion Vettel taking a five-place grid penalty for taking a new gearbox.
It was the German's third five-place penalty for the same reason this season.
"I think the problem that we had yesterday, and today, that's a weakness, and we need to stop it," said Vettel.
"Obviously I think the other occasions it was more a consequence of other things happening, especially the first one – if you crash, obviously it was a mild crash, but still a crash in China, and we had to change it.
"You see other people crashing and they have to change it. They are not made for crashing, if you see what I mean…"
As Ferrari licked their wounds following an unimpressive showing, Raikkonen said he was happy to have disappointed some critics who had wanted to see him replaced in the Ferrari team.
He was confirmed as staying with the team for 2017 by Ferrari on Friday.
"It just makes it easier for us with people not hassling us around these kind of things," said the Finn.
"Obviously I am very happy about it. It gives me pleasure to see disappointed people!"