Kovalainen ready to face the 2008 season!

Heikki Kovalainen has shown himself more motivated than ever just days before the start of the 2008 season.

The Finn, who will be driving for McLaren-Mercedes this year after a challenging first season with Renault last year, is concentrating 100% on the first event of the year in Australia, even before thinking about setting goals.

For now, I am focusing only on this first 2008 race, trying not to miss it and to start better than last year, comments the Finn, who had several issues with the R27 in his first F1 appearance last year.

« We hope to make a good start and be well qualified, and later we will look at medium-term goals. For now, I want to focus on this event not to be missed, knowing that I am still learning with the team and always need to improve! »

The young Finn, 23 years old, will be accompanied this season by Lewis Hamilton, also 23 and the world vice-champion. With the latter and Fernando Alonso in 2007, the Woking team faced significant management issues with its drivers. Kovalainen hopes not to face such events this year and relies on his calm demeanor to keep a cool head in his second year in F1.

I think the most important thing is to stay calm, keep a cool head, and not let anything hinder my concentration. I am in a new team. I need to learn and not be disturbed. So I will focus mainly on the car and the engineers’ words to leave the external environment outside the garage door!

First meeting 2008 in just 10 days in Melbourne, Australia. Kovalainen had finished 10th.