Heikki Kovalainen
Heikki Kovalainen John (* October 19, 1981 in Suomussalmi ) is a Finnish racing driver. He started from 2007 to 2013 in Formula 1, and stood in 2013 at Lotus under contract.
Kovalainen won the 2004 championship the World Series by Nissan and in 2005 was vice-champion of the GP2 Series.
- 2.1 Career stations
- 2.2 Individual results in the GP2 Series
- 2.3 Statistics in Formula 1 2.3.1 Grand Prix wins
- 2.3.2 Individual Results
Career
Beginnings in motorsport
Kovalainen began his motorsport career in 1991 in karting. Among other things, he was in 1999 and 2000 Finnish Vice- kart champion. In 2000, he made himself the first time a name by winning four titles. His greatest triumph was in the process of Kart Driver of the Year in Finland- Award. 2001 Kovalainen drove in the British Formula Renault and finished the season fourth in the overall standings. He secured two wins and two pole positions and was the best rookie in the season. He also contested the Macau Grand Prix, where he finished eighth.
In 2002 he raced in the British Formula 3 Championship and finished the season with five wins in third place overall. In the Macau Grand Prix, he was after the eighth place in the previous year, this time in second. After the two years in England Kovalainen moving in 2003 to the World Series by Nissan, the forerunner series of World Series by Renault and became an instant runner-up behind his teammate Franck Montagny. A year later, 2004, he then won the championship title in this series. In December 2004, Kovalainen won the Race of Champions. Kovalainen began in 2005 in the newly created GP2 Series, which was held as part of the Formula 1, for Arden International. He finished the season as runner-up behind Nico Rosberg, who had as Kovalainen won five races. In the same year he went first tests for the Formula 1 team Renault. In 2006, he was then obliged by Renault as the official test and reserve driver.
Formula 1
Renault (2007)
For the 2007 Formula 1 season Kovalainen was engaged as a regular driver and successor of the world champion Fernando Alonso at Renault. In his first race in Australia, he finished 13th place. In the second race of the season in Malaysia to Kovalainen secured with eighth place the first World Championship point in his career. In the chaotic race in Canada took the Finn, who had started from 22 grid position, the fourth place and had to just before the end even the chance to get on the podium. His first podium placement achieved Kovalainen at the Japanese Grand Prix in Fuji, when he crossed the finish line behind the Briton Lewis Hamilton and before the eventual champion and compatriot Kimi Raikkonen. At the end of the season, Kovalainen finished in seventh place overall ahead of his teammate Giancarlo Fisichella.
On 10 December 2007, the Renault team officially announced the return of Alonso. Since the second cockpit was awarded to the Brazilian Nelson Piquet junior, Kovalainen was temporarily without a contract for next season. Four days later, but committed Alonso's former employer McLaren to the Finns as the second driver for the 2008 season alongside Hamilton.
McLaren (2008-2009)
In the first race of the Finn went on a level with the favored Hamilton and was after three races par with the British in the World Cup. At the Grand Prix of Spain Kovalainen drove in the 22nd round almost unabated into the tire wall after the rim was broken on the left front wheel of his McLaren. The Finn was uninjured in the accident and went on for two weeks after the Grand Prix of Turkey back to the start.
Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix McLaren -Mercedes announced that Kovalainen in 2009 on the side of Hamilton for the " Silver Arrows " will go to the start. On race day Kovalainen then celebrated his first Grand Prix victory he had inherited after the failure of the leading Felipe Massa three laps to go. He is the total of 100 drivers, who entered in the list of winners of Formula 1. Kovalainen won no other race in the season and finished seventh in the drivers' world championship, which won his team-mate Hamilton.
2009 showed up at the first race that the McLaren could not keep up with the top and so it fell Kovalainen hard to achieve good results. After he once was able to score points in the first eight races of the season, he benefited from the Grand Prix of Germany by a much improved McLaren and finished the next six races in all the points. However, his constant performance were surpassed by his teammate Hamilton, who won two races in the same period and second once was as the year before. At the end of the season, Kovalainen finished in twelfth place overall with 22 points, while Hamilton was fifth with 48 points. Because of its poor performance Kovalainen McLaren had to leave at end of season.
Lotus / Caterham (2010-2013)
For the 2010 season, Kovalainen was as team-mate Jarno Trulli from the new Lotus Racing team, who had gone along with two other teams in Formula 1, obliged. He reached the destination, he was not considered in Malaysia with ten laps in the first four races. At the Grand Prix of Spain, the Finn could not participate in the race due to technical problems. At the Japanese Grand Prix he benefited from some failures and, with a twelfth place his best finish. At the end of the season he was the best pilot of the new teams 20th overall.
2011 remained Kovalainen at Lotus. He remained as the previous year with no points and a 13th place was his best individual result. Against his teammate Trulli, he sat down with 16:2 in qualifying and 10:6 by the racing duel. Since Trulli, however, had a 13th place boast more, Kovalainen finished the season a position behind Trulli at the 22nd place overall.
2012 Kovalainen denied his third season for the team, which competes as Caterham F1 Team since this season. At the Monaco Grand Prix he was over many laps Jenson Button, who had a faster car behind it and finally came in 13th place finish. He was 13, since he remained without points again at another race, decided the race positions on the World Cup ranking. As his team-mate Vitaly Petrov had scored with an eleventh place better placement, Kovalainen was on the end of the season on the 22, Petrov at the 19th place overall.
2013 Kovalainen was initially without the use of cockpit in Formula 1 He remained Caterham connected as a test driver. In this capacity, he participated in six free workout.
Lotus (2013 )
With two races left in the season he was taken by the Lotus F1 Team as a replacement for the injured Raikkonen under contract. This Kovalainen returned to the team in which he - had started his Formula 1 career - at that time under the name Renault. Both in the U.S., as well as in Brazil, he came in 14th place finish.
Statistics
Career stations
- 2005: GP2 Series (2nd place)
- 2006: Formula 1 ( test driver )
- 2007: Formula 1 ( 7th place)
- 2008: Formula 1 ( 7th place)
- 2009: Formula 1 ( 12th place)
- 2010: Formula 1 ( 20th place )
- 2011: Formula 1 ( 22nd place)
- 2012: Formula 1 ( 22nd place)
- 2013: Formula 1 ( No. 21 )
Individual results in the GP2 Series
Statistics in Formula 1
Grand Prix victories
- 2008: Hungary ( Mogyoród )