Formula 1 Driver Details

Heikki Kovalainen

Data and Statistics

Date of Birth	October 17, 1981	Championships	6 (0 Won)
Place of Birth	Suomussalmi, FIN	Grand Prix	110 (1 Won)
Nationality	FIN	Podiums	4
Weight/Height	66 kg / 172 cm	Poles	1
First GP	March 19, 2007	Fastest Laps	1
Last GP	November 25, 2012	Highest Position	1 (x1)
Constructors	Renault, McLaren, Caterham	Highest Pole	1 (x1)

Pole
Position

Race
Position

Race
Points

Year/Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	PtsPos
2012 Caterham F1 Team	AUS 0LAP18	MYS 01824	CHN 02318	BHR 01716	ESP 01619	MCO 01317	CAN 01817	EUR 01416	GBR 01719	DEU 01916	HUN 01719	BEL 01718	ITA 01417	SGP 01519	JPN 01517	KOR 01719	IND 01820	ARE 01318	USA 01822	BRA 01420	022
2011 Team Lotus	AUS 0RET19	MYS 01519	CHN 01619	TUR 01918	ESP 0RET15	MCO 01417	CAN 0RET20	EUR 01919	GBR 0RET17	DEU 01618	HUN 0DNF18	BEL 01516	ITA 01320	SGP 01619	JPN 01818	KOR 01419	IND 01418	ARE 01717	BRA 01619		022
2010 Team Lotus	BHR 01521	AUS 01319	MYS 0RET15	CHN 01421	ESP 0RET20	MCO 0RET18	TUR 0RET20	CAN 01619	EUR 0RET20	GBR 01718	DEU 0RET18	HUN 01419	BEL 01613	ITA 01818	SGP 01619	JPN 01220	KOR 01321	BRA 01820	ARE 01720		020
2009 McLaren-Mercedes	AUS 0RET12	MYS 0RET14	CHN 4512	BHR 01211	ESP 0RET18	MCO 0RET7	TUR 01414	GBR 0RET13	DEU 186	HUN 456	EUR 542	BEL 3615	ITA 364	SGP 278	JPN 01111	BRA 01216	ARE 01118				2212
2008 McLaren-Mercedes	AUS 453	MYS 638	BHR 455	ESP 0RET6	TUR 0122	MCO 184	CAN 097	FRA 5410	GBR 451	DEU 453	HUN 1012	EUR 545	BEL 0103	ITA 822	SGP 0105	JPN 0RET3	CHN 0RET5	BRA 275			537
2007 Renault	AUS 01013	MYS 1811	BHR 0912	ESP 278	MCO 01315	CAN 5422	USA 456	FRA 0156	GBR 276	EUR 187	HUN 1811	TUR 367	ITA 277	BEL 189	JPN 8211	CHN 0913	BRA 0RET17				307

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Driver Bio

Heikki Kovalainen was born in Finland in 1981 and has been a Formula 1 driver since 2007. In his career, the Finn has raced for Renault, McLaren, and since 2010, Lotus Racing, now known as F1 Caterham.

Kovalainen started his career in karting in 1991 and competed in that category until 2000. He won the Finnish Formula A Championship in 1999 and the Nordic countries in 2000, when he also was named "Finn of the year."

landed in Formula Renault in 2001 following the departure of reigning champion and countryman Raikkonen who made the jump to Formula 1. His debut in the category was not at all remarkable but finished fourth with two wins, two poles and three fastest laps, for which he won the Rookie of the Year award.

After taking all appropriate steps by competing Formula 3 and GP2, Kovalainen was hired in 2006 by Renaultas test driver. In that year, the team spectacularly snatched Ferrari’s championship in the last two races, but the crown holder, Fernando Alonso, decided to depart and left for McLaren. This opened an opportunity, and Flavio Briatore promoted Heikki for 2007 season as an official driver. Giancarlo Fisichella was his teammate.

His first tournament as a driver did not fill the expectations around him. Even in his first race in Australia the Finn made several basic errors so its tenth place was not warmly welcomed by management. The season continued, and in spite of the lack of competitiveness on the Renault machine, Heikki got his first podium finish with a second in the Japanese GP.

In 2008, after a year full of controversy in McLaren, Fernando Alonso and Heikki Kovalainen swapped seats, making the young Finn a teammate of Lewis Hamilton, the new star for the British outfit.

In his first season with McLaren, he has to live under the shadow of Hamilton –no doubt faster- finishing the tournament in seventh place, but accomplishing his first and only victory (so far) in Formula 1, in the Hungarian GP.

However, Kovalainen does not escape controversy, as he often highlighted the preference in his team for Hamilton, relegating the Finn to a secondary role. It followed the forgettable 2009 year, in which his best position was 4th (once), and finishing 12th in the standings with 22 points.

Kovalainen had not seat until the nascent team of Lotus named him its driver. The proposal was clear and the team, although new, looked like a serious project, and with financial stability for a long term plan.

The 2010 season marked the entrance of a new batch of teams: Lotus, Hispania Racing and Virgin. All of them had to start their operations from the scratch. In that first year, Heikki managed to finish 15 of the 19 races of the year, and although no points were added to the Lotus count the team by far outperformed Virgin and Hispania Racing, an achievement nevertheless. A 12th place in the GP of Japan was the best result. Kovalainen experience and good demeanor are key elements in the team’s development.

The 2011 season continued with similar results among the three teams, with Lotus in the lead, but getting closer to the middle of the pack scuderias. His best position was 13th in Italy, but it is more important to highlight the notable improvement in the car performance.

By 2012, his team is renamed Caterham F1, and Heikki will now team up with Vitaly Petrov, in a year that definitely looks promising for his young team.

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