F1 team review - McLaren

"We've yet to see Heikki Kovalainen's full potential and 2009 has been no different.

"The Finn has talent and speed but he doesn't have the self-confidence, especially when faced with a difficult car.

"The lowest point of Kovalainen's career has to be the Italian Grand Prix. He sat fourth on the grid with a great car, the best strategy with the right amount of fuel, and should have won the race. He came home sixth.

"McLaren have given Kovalainen all the support they can but that was surely the final trigger to begin looking around for alternatives.

"It could be difficult for the 28-year-old to find a seat in 2010. He deserves a final chance, not least because it is difficult to evaluate and test new boys these days, and sometimes it is better the devil you know than the devil you don't in F1."

What three words would you use to describe what it's like to be a Formula One driver?
Intense, busy and rewarding.

What is the biggest perk of the job?
Certainly driving these fast cars.

How would you like to be remembered as an F1 driver?
As a true fighter, never giving up and fighting until the end.

What is your most embarrassing sporting moment?
Luckily there wasn't a big audience, but I crashed a GP2 car into a pit wall at a test coming out of a garage.

It was rather embarrassing. It was the morning and I was going for my first run. The weather was quite cold and the tyres were cool, but still I was already by that time an experienced driver and I shouldn't have shunted into the wall and taken a corner off.

Who is the worst dressed Formula One driver?
Probably myself as I'm not into fashion at all!

Ayrton Senna or Alain Prost?
Senna. He was a true fighter and impressive when he drove.

Spa or Monaco?
Spa for me, it has better flow.

KOVALAINEN STATS & FACTS Team: McLaren Team-mate: Lewis Hamilton Previous teams: Renault Car number: 2 Nationality: Finnish Born: 19/10/1981, Suomussalmi Grand Prix debut: Australia 2007 Grands Prix entered: 52 Wins: 1 Pole positions: 1 Podiums: 4 Points: 105

If you weren't an F1 driver what would you be?

I would probably be involved in flying either a helicopter or a fixed wing. I'm quite into flying.

Who is the greatest sportsman of all time?
This is a tricky one. There are a lot of great sportsmen and I think it's impossible to pick anyone.

What would be your perfect day off?
I think being somewhere near the place where I was born in north Finland somewhere with my friends. By the lake maybe, somewhere quiet and calm, by the fire just to chill out would be top of the list.

Where is your favourite place to go on holiday?
Same answer, north Finland where I was been born - either in the summer or winter.

Apart from a house what is the most expensive thing that you own?
I've never owned a car or any bikes or any Ski-doos or anything like that - so it will have to be my house.

What is your favourite item of clothing?
I'm not really into clothes but I quite often wear jeans and I try to look for different pairs when I'm out.

What is your favourite music to drive to?
The Finnish band called Nightwish.

Which famous person - dead or alive - would you like to have dinner with and why?
Again this is quite difficult but I'd like to meet one of the guys who acted as James Bond.

All the guys - Sean Connery, Roger Moore - one of those guys would be nice.

I'm quite into James Bond movies even though it sounds quite sad, I've watched them all over again and it'd be good to meet one of those guys.

Tell us something about yourself that most F1 fans might not know
Well many people say I'm always smiling and happy and open but they must have missed something because there are moments when I'm quite angry and quite opposite.

So if they see me ever like that they should not get the wrong idea, it is normal for me to be like that actually.

Steve McQueen or Paul Newman?
Paul Newman.

Boxers or briefs?
Boxers.

Angelina Jolie or Keira Knightley?
Keira Knightley.

James Bond or Austin Powers?
James Bond.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version