Hamilton would like to see Kovalainen at the front again
In an interview with the Finnish channel MTV3, the McLaren driver, who made his debut in Melbourne in 2007, like Heikki Kovalainen, and celebrated his hundredth Grand Prix at Hockenheim, just like the Finn, stated that he would like to see the Caterham driver in a better car.
Teammates in 2008 and 2009, Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen share more than just the McLaren name on their résumé. Both entering Formula One with Renault at the same time as the Brit, the native of Suomussalmi also celebrated his 100th Grand Prix at Hockenheim, a race that, much like for the McLaren driver, resembled an ordeal more than a walk in the park.
However, unlike his former teammate, Heikki Kovalainen is used to often anonymous races at the back of the grid, having spent the last three years wearing out his racing suits in the cockpit of a Caterham (formerly Lotus Racing and Team Lotus).
If for some, the arrival of Heikki Kovalainen at the Malaysian team sounded like a demotion, the Finn ultimately took advantage of the project led by Tony Fernandes to recharge after his stint at McLaren, which left him with a bittersweet taste, but also to gain experience and acquire a leadership that makes him today one of the most respected drivers on the grid, starting with Lewis Hamilton himself: « Heikki has proven to be one of the fastest drivers, unfortunately, he doesn’t have a very good car today, but he has still shown on several occasions that he is strong, solid, mentally focused, and very fast, » comments the 2008 World Champion on Finnish channel MTV3.
The British driver is not the only one to think highly of Heikki Kovalainen, and with his contract with Caterham coming to an end this season and still not renewed, the Finn’s name is circulating in the paddock among the contenders for more prominent seats, notably at Sauber and Ferrari. Seeing his former teammate a bit further up the grid would certainly not displease Lewis Hamilton: « I really hope he gets the chance to have a faster car so we can compete against each other again. »
If the track leading to Sauber seems to be the most credible option for Heïkki Kovalainen today, Mika Salo, who drove under Peter Sauber’s leadership, believes his compatriot should think it over carefully: “It could be a good seat for him, but it’s also a bit risky,” explains the former Ferrari and Toyota driver on MTV3. “It’s not a top team: their car isn’t necessarily always good [even if] it is at the moment. I know from experience that Peter Sauber isn’t the easiest person to work with. It might be different with Monisha Kaltenborn in charge, but how willing is Peter Sauber to relinquish control to her?”
One thing is certain, however: for the moment, Heikki Kovalainen has no choice but to bide his time at the wheel of a Caterham CT01 that has not yet fully realized the hopes placed in it and would welcome the opportunity to have a car capable of offering him experiences beyond just making it to Q2 on Saturday afternoon.
