Budapest, July 24: Heikki Kovalainen was as surprised as anybody when he took the first and so far only win of his Formula One career in Hungary last year.
The 27-year-old Finn would be even more stunned if he manages to repeat the feat on Sunday after half a season labouring in an uncompetitive McLaren that has yet to finish in the top three.
For him, however, the biggest shock of all is simply what has happened to his team over the last 12 months.
“To be honest, I never thought that coming here a year later I would not have won another race. That’s more of a surprise,” Kovalainen told reporters on his return to the Hungaroring on Thursday.
“I guess this year we haven’t really had a chance. Hopefully we will be more competitive this weekend but I think it still would be a big surprise to win here.”
World champion team mate Lewis Hamilton, who won five times last year, has scored only nine points from as many starts this season. Kovalainen, whose future with Mercedes-powered McLaren is far from certain, has just five.
Last August, Hamilton, then championship leader, had qualified on pole position for the second year in a row in Hungary with Kovalainen alongside.
Both lost out to Ferrari’s Felipe Massa at the start, with Hamilton then suffering a puncture at half distance.
The Brazilian was cruising to victory when his engine failed with three laps to go, leaving Kovalainen as the stunned beneficiary.
McLaren have been way off the pace this year but are showing signs of picking up speed, with team boss Martin Whitmarsh suggesting they could have a real chance this weekend.
The Mercedes-powered team rushed out improvements to their car for the previous race in Germany, although they had only enough parts for Hamilton, and both drivers should have a significantly better package for Hungary.
“I think the team has been able to do a further modification to the car that Lewis had already in Germany so fingers crossed that it all works out fine,” said Kovalainen, who out-qualified Hamilton in the three races before Germany.
“I am not really targeting anything other than victory to be honest but that might not be realistic. I just don’t know where we are but I am expecting to be higher up than where I was in the last couple of races.”
“I think the package Lewis had at Nuerburgring turned out to be very efficient, a decent step forward, so I think my car at least should feel totally different to what I have been driving before,” added the Finn.
Kovalainen joined McLaren from Renault at the end of 2007 in a straight swap with double world champion Fernando Alonso, who had fallen out with Hamilton as both battled for the title in a turbulent season.
Partnering the Briton, whose relationship with then team boss Ron Dennis had been forged over a decade of support through junior series, was never going to be easy but Kovalainen was happy to have a lifeline after a tough year with Renault.
Kovalainen’s job was to be a loyal team mate and not rock the boat and he did that well enough, with Hamilton duly becoming the youngest world champion last year in a season-ending cliffhanger in Brazil.
He started off this season determined to close the gap and become more integrated within the team, spending more time at the factory and in the simulator, and there is no doubt that he is valued.
“He’s a great team player, he has done I think a good job. We could have done a better job on occasions, he could have done a better job on occasions and we both know that,” said Whitmarsh.
“The view from the outside is that there is a long-standing relationship and passion for Lewis, he’s a world champion and it’s pretty difficult to live in those circumstances whatever we do as a team.”
“But I think within the team he (Kovalainen) is very comfortable, he’s publicly stated he wants to stay in the team and that’s something that we are talking to his management about. I am sure he will continue doing a good job.”
Mercedes have previously expressed a strong interest in Germany’s Nico Rosberg, son of former champion Keke, whose contract with Williams is now coming to an end.
Kovalainen said he just needed to keep plugging away.
“I hope I can stay here. I am negotiating and let’s see what we can do,” he said.
“I don’t feel I need to impress anyone more than normal. I always want to impress, try to do maximum results. I am quite relaxed about that and sure I will be in a good place next year.”
“I am sure I am in better shape now,” added the Finn. “With the car I had last year, I could do a better result now with the way I drive and the way I have been able to set up the car and get more out of it.”
“In terms of being able to set up the car like I want, to drive the car how I need to drive it and where to make the time, how to back off and manage the tyres — all of these have worked out much better this year.”
Bureau Report
Budapest: Heikki Kovalainen was as surprised as anybody when he took the first and so far only win of his Formula One career in Hungary last year.
The 27-year-old Finn would be even more stunned if he manages to repeat the feat on Sunday after half a season labouring in an uncompetitive McLaren that has yet to finish in the top three.
For him, however, the biggest shock of all is simply what has happened to his team over the last 12 months.
“To be honest, I never thought that coming here a year later I would not have won another race. That’s more of a surprise,” Kovalainen told reporters on his return to the Hungaroring on Thursday.
“I guess this year we haven’t really had a chance. Hopefully we will be more competitive this weekend but I think it still would be a big surprise to win here.”
World champion team mate Lewis Hamilton, who won five times last year, has scored only nine points from as many starts this season. Kovalainen, whose future with Mercedes-powered McLaren is far from certain, has just five.
Last August, Hamilton, then championship leader, had qualified on pole position for the second year in a row in Hungary with Kovalainen alongside.
Both lost out to Ferrari’s Felipe Massa at the start, with Hamilton then suffering a puncture at half distance.
The Brazilian was cruising to victory when his engine failed with three laps to go, leaving Kovalainen as the stunned beneficiary.
McLaren have been way off the pace this year but are showing signs of picking up speed, with team boss Martin Whitmarsh suggesting they could have a real chance this weekend.
The Mercedes-powered team rushed out improvements to their car for the previous race in Germany, although they had only enough parts for Hamilton, and both drivers should have a significantly better package for Hungary.
“I think the team has been able to do a further modification to the car that Lewis had already in Germany so fingers crossed that it all works out fine,” said Kovalainen, who out-qualified Hamilton in the three races before Germany.
“I am not really targeting anything other than victory to be honest but that might not be realistic. I just don’t know where we are but I am expecting to be higher up than where I was in the last couple of races.”
“I think the package Lewis had at Nuerburgring turned out to be very efficient, a decent step forward, so I think my car at least should feel totally different to what I have been driving before,” added the Finn.
Kovalainen joined McLaren from Renault at the end of 2007 in a straight swap with double world champion Fernando Alonso, who had fallen out with Hamilton as both battled for the title in a turbulent season.
Partnering the Briton, whose relationship with then team boss Ron Dennis had been forged over a decade of support through junior series, was never going to be easy but Kovalainen was happy to have a lifeline after a tough year with Renault.
Kovalainen’s job was to be a loyal team mate and not rock the boat and he did that well enough, with Hamilton duly becoming the youngest world champion last year in a season-ending cliffhanger in Brazil.
He started off this season determined to close the gap and become more integrated within the team, spending more time at the factory and in the simulator, and there is no doubt that he is valued.
“He’s a great team player, he has done I think a good job. We could have done a better job on occasions, he could have done a better job on occasions and we both know that,” said Whitmarsh.
“The view from the outside is that there is a long-standing relationship and passion for Lewis, he’s a world champion and it’s pretty difficult to live in those circumstances whatever we do as a team.”
“But I think within the team he (Kovalainen) is very comfortable, he’s publicly stated he wants to stay in the team and that’s something that we are talking to his management about. I am sure he will continue doing a good job.”
Mercedes have previously expressed a strong interest in Germany’s Nico Rosberg, son of former champion Keke, whose contract with Williams is now coming to an end.
Kovalainen said he just needed to keep plugging away.
“I hope I can stay here. I am negotiating and let’s see what we can do,” he said.
“I don’t feel I need to impress anyone more than normal. I always want to impress, try to do maximum results. I am quite relaxed about that and sure I will be in a good place next year.”
“I am sure I am in better shape now,” added the Finn. “With the car I had last year, I could do a better result now with the way I drive and the way I have been able to set up the car and get more out of it.”
“In terms of being able to set up the car like I want, to drive the car how I need to drive it and where to make the time, how to back off and manage the tyres — all of these have worked out much better this year.”
—-Agencies