McLaren Review – Relief After Distress
A weekend that could have taken a tragic turn for the McLaren team. Indeed, Heikki Kovalainen, traveling at over 230km/h, crashed head-on into the tire wall, likely due to a suspension arm failure. The medical team was called in, and after long minutes during which the safety car was also deployed, the Finnish driver gave […]
A weekend that could have taken a tragic turn for the McLaren team. Indeed, Heikki Kovalainen, traveling at over 230km/h, crashed head-on into the tire wall, likely due to a suspension arm failure. The medical team was called in, and after long minutes during which the safety car was also deployed, the Finnish driver gave a thumbs-up from the stretcher to show the crowd and all his team that he was conscious.
In terms of the race, Hamilton returns to the joy of podiums with a 3rd place finish. The gaps with the two Ferraris in front of him remain small, indicating that the Briton was in rhythm.
Lewis Hamilton – 3rd:
« First of all, I am really happy to hear that Heikki Kovalainen is okay. During the race, I saw a car embedded in the tire wall and I was told it was my teammate. As soon as the team knew he was okay, Ron Dennis passed the information to me via radio. »
« Regarding the race, finally a podium! After the qualifying, we knew it would be a tough Grand Prix, I am really happy with this third place. »
« I got off to a good start to immediately overtake Kubica. I pushed as hard as I could, particularly in the second and third sectors, to try to keep pace with the Ferraris. »
« We did a good job today, but there are still areas where we absolutely need to improve, even though it is very reassuring to know that we are relatively close to Ferrari. I am looking forward to the Turkish Grand Prix where I hope to see my teammate again. »
Ron Dennis – McLaren F1 Director:
« Lewis drove very well today but for obvious reasons, our main concerns in the race were focused on Heikki Kovalainen. I am therefore very pleased with his condition which is good. He was transported by helicopter to the Catalonia hospital in San Cugat del Valles. He will remain there overnight for observation. »
« He has no fracture and the hospital confirmed that he had no head injury. The team is optimistic that he will be back on his feet in the coming days. Subject to a FIA medical examination, we hope he will be with us for the Turkish Grand Prix. »
« The exact causes of the accident are not yet known. Our data indicates a drop in tire pressure shortly before the accident. But it is still too soon to determine what triggered this drop in pressure. A rim problem perhaps… »
The impact was violent, but our car is secured for this type of accident and of course designed in compliance with FIA regulations.
Norbert Haug – Director of Mercedes Motorsport:
« According to the latest information, Heikki is doing well, and that is the most important thing today. We would like to thank the medical team for their prompt response. Lewis was competitive and had a great race with an excellent start. The top three drivers remained relatively close with a maximum of eight seconds apart in the 46th lap. »
