Kovalainen wins in the long term with McLaren

Heikki Kovalainen states that he intends to stay with McLaren as long as possible, as he is set to start racing for the British team in 2008.

The Finn has signed a contract with McLaren to fill the seat left vacant by Fernando Alonso, who chose to return to Renault. The latter had a rather disappointing season with the Woking team, spending more time ‘squabbling’ with his former teammate Lewis Hamilton than pursuing a third title.

But Kovalainen stated in the British tabloid The People that he will never come into conflict with Hamilton, who is an old karting rival.

« I want to stay with McLaren as long as possible, » he said.

McLaren has been my favorite team since childhood, and I’ve always wanted to be a part of it.

« Now, I want to make the most of this challenge and ensure that everything goes well, » added the Finn.

Kovalainen experienced some great moments in his first year of F1 with a second-place finish at Fuji in Japan under heavy rain. He finished the season seventh in the drivers’ standings.

Interestingly, Kovalainen was a test driver for Renault in 2006, making him the most experienced of the two 2008 McLaren drivers in F1.

But Kovalainen said of his new British teammate: « He is very strong and he is clearly one of the favorites for the championship. »

« I want to establish a real relationship with the team so that I can be competitive, even if he will have a bit more advantages. »

« I think I will have a lot of work to do! » acknowledged Kovalainen.