Heikki Kovalainen courted by Ferrari, McLaren and Lotus for 2013?

The transfer season has long been lively, almost exclusively, due to the future of Felipe Massa at Ferrari. Both real and supposed contenders have been jostling at Maranello’s doors over the months, but gradually, this list is dwindling to almost nothing, and the Paulista’s future is becoming clearer.

Exit then Mark Webber, who despite confirmed contacts with Maranello, preferred to renew his contract with Red Bull for an additional season! Exit also Sergio Pérez who, despite a very high-flying season, would not have sufficient experience, in Luca di Montezemolo’s eyes, to don the famous red suit! Finally, exit the hypotheses of Schumacher, Hamilton, Räikkönen, or even Vettel, deemed not very credible for 2013.

We thought Felipe Massa was well on his way to keeping his seat for another season in Emilia-Romagna, and yet Scuderia Ferrari is slow to make it official, probably waiting for an opportunity to arise, in the form of a driver who could bring more points to the team without overly threatening Fernando Alonso’s supremacy.

The name Nico Hülkenberg has been circulating in the paddock for some time, but if we follow the logic of the Ferrari President, what applies to Sergio Pérez should also apply to Nico Hülkenberg who, although three years older than the Mexican, has only two more Grand Prix under his belt. Thus, it would ultimately be the path leading to Heikki Kovalainen that is the hottest at the moment since, according to the Finnish television channel MTV3, the entourage of the Finnish driver is reportedly invited to a meeting at the headquarters of the Italian team next week.

At the end of his contract with Caterham, the native of Suomussalmi has never hidden his desires to move elsewhere, recently expressing his wish to always be able to fight for the podium. At Spa-Francorchamps, where the Belgian Grand Prix was held in early September, Heikki Kovalainen expressed his disappointment with the performance of his single-seater: The others seem to have progressed better than us […]. The fact that the Marussias are getting closer to us is an alarming factor when we should be far ahead of them. The developments since Silverstone either have not worked or have not brought us enough, he regretted to MTV3.

In a recent survey, in which the editorial team of casinoenligne.uk.com invited you to participate, no less than 34.92% of you thought that the current Caterham driver should commit to Ferrari for 2013, compared to 22.22% for Sauber, 14.29% for Williams, and 11.11% for him to remain with the Malaysian team. At 30 years old and with over a hundred Grand Prix under his belt, Heikki Kovalainen seems to have the necessary experience to handle the pressure of wearing the red suit, according to Luca di Montezemolo. A test driver for Renault in 2006, he was alongside Fernando Alonso before succeeding him the following season when the Spaniard took on the McLaren challenge. This is actually one of the common denominators between the two drivers, who both have somewhat bittersweet memories of their time at Woking.

The Finn therefore offers one of the best profiles, if not the best, to succeed Felipe Massa, having already demonstrated his talent, without posing a potential threat to Fernando Alonso’s supremacy. Moreover, unlike Pérez and Hülkenberg, Heikki Kovalainen represents a short- or medium-term commitment, thus leaving the door open for a possible arrival of either Sebastian Vettel, at the end of his contract with Red Bull in 2014, or Sergio Pérez when he has gained experience deemed sufficient by Ferrari management.

But Maranello would not be the only possible option for the Finn, since at Monza, his name was mentioned regarding Enstone, as a replacement for Romain Grosjean: « The information comes from a reliable source inside [Lotus], » noted Mika Salo. When asked about the possibility of teaming up with Kimi Räikkönen, Heikki Kovalainen responded: « I have no problem driving alongside anyone. So I don’t think it would be an issue to drive alongside another Finn, but at the same time, it’s pointless to speculate. »

Another possibility would make the Finn the potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton if the Briton departs for new horizons. Thus, according to the Daily Mail, Heikki Kovalainen, like Sergio Pérez and Paul di Resta, would be McLaren’s potential plan B for 2013. In early August, the Finn did not rule out a return to Woking: “For me, being at McLaren was a dream come true. It’s a great team, just like Ferrari, of course. […] I can only say good things about McLaren, even though I had both good and bad times. But I know exactly what was happening back then and what would happen if I got my chance in the future. I wouldn’t have a problem [going back]. It’s a great team, and I’m still in contact with many guys at McLaren: for example, I have a good relationship with Martin Whitmarsh [the director of the British team, editor’s note]. At the time, not everything went well, but there were certain reasons. Since then, a lot has changed.”

Coveted, the Finn could make his return to the forefront next season and, as the future of Lewis Hamilton should be known before the Singapore Grand Prix, it might not be too long before we find out which colors Heikki Kovalainen will defend in 2013.