Kovalainen set to stay with Caterham in 2013?

Heikki Kovalainen joined the Caterham team at the start of 2010, when it was still called Lotus Racing, and after three years of racing at the back of the grid, the Finnish driver, whose contract expires at the end of the year, seemed set to attempt a return to a top team to reach the heights again.

He was often mentioned as a potential candidate for a seat at Ferrari or Sauber, even though he never fueled the rumors, repeatedly stating that he wanted to focus on his performance on the track and not on his future for the time being.

But Kovalainen has changed his approach, explaining this weekend to Autosport that he is currently negotiating only with Caterham. When asked when an announcement could be made, he said: « Hopefully before the end of the season. Hopefully something will happen this month. For now, I’m discussing with Caterham and seeing what we can do. I still see a lot of potential here, and the team is doing what it takes to progress.»

Kovalainen admitted that he was still looking at potentially available seats elsewhere but that he had no serious leads: « If there is another seat available, we will have to take a look, but I haven’t had serious discussions with other teams. »

For the moment, the future of the Finn remains uncertain, as does that of his teammate Vitaly Petrov, especially since the names of Charles Pic and Giedo Van der Garde are often mentioned as candidates for a seat within the British-Malaysian team.

So even if his seat could be threatened by drivers with better backing, especially financially, Heikki Kovalainen is not worried: “I never thought I would end up without a seat. I always believed there would be a seat for a good driver. Obviously, this has changed. Many drivers have come with a lot of money, and the teams need it. But I remain confident about my chances of finding a seat.”