Kovalainen: The first of a long series

Heikki Kovalainen hopes that his victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix will be the first in a long series after a difficult first half of the year for the Finn.

The McLaren driver took advantage of the mechanical problems of his teammate Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa to become the 100th winner of a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Kovalainen, who has often been overshadowed by Hamilton’s performances, is determined to maintain this momentum.

“It’s fantastic. It’s a great moment,” the Finn declared.

« It’s a moment I’ve been waiting for many years. The goal of becoming an F1 driver was achieved a few months ago, and the second one, winning a race, is now validated. It’s very enjoyable. »

Kovalainen openly admits that Hamilton and Massa were faster than him during the race, but the former Renault driver claimed that he never stopped pushing, hoping that Massa would have a problem.

In the end, the Ferrari driver had to retire with three laps to go before the checkered flag due to an engine failure.

« Of course, I am very happy. We were able to fight for a victory. Lewis and Massa were faster in the race. I tried to put pressure on Massa hoping for a mechanical failure on his part, and it seemed to work, » he continued.

« The team has gone through tough times. That’s why I am very happy to achieve my first victory. »

Despite this, Kovalainen is still in sixth place in the driver standings, 24 points behind his teammate Hamilton.