Heikki wants equality with Hamilton

Eurosport - Wed, 03 Dec 12:21:00 2008

Heikki Kovalainen has said he wants a new fuel strategy from McLaren in 2009 to give him the same chance of success as world champion team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

2008 Brazilian GP McLaren Kovalainen Hamilton - 0

Kovalainen said that the team was keen for him to run a heavier fuel load in the final phase of qualifying at each meeting to allow an alternative strategy for success, should the option for Hamilton be compromised.

As a result, the Finn finished the season back in seventh place in the points table and some 45 points shy of Hamilton's title-winning total.

"Only once was I lighter on fuel than Lewis, and that was at Silverstone, where I was on pole," the 27-year old driver pointed out to Switzerland's Motorsport Aktuell magazine.

"In all other qualifying sessions, I was fuelled more heavily - often the heaviest guy in the top six or seven. If I had been at the front more often, then I would have won more frequently."

Kovalainen managed only three podium finishes all season and was unable to help push McLaren into top spot in the constructors' championship.

While that created doubt about his position at Woking in the mind of outsiders, he said he was not under threat of losing his seat for 2009 - and warned that he will be looking for a change of direction.

"The team knew exactly what was taking place," he said. "It's something we have to look at for the coming year."

Kovalainen will return to the track when group testing restarts in Spain later this month. He is slated to run at both Jerez and the new Portimao circuit in Portugal before the end of the year, while Hamilton is not due to return to the cockpit until early January.

The new McLaren will be unveiled on January 16 in Woking.

Crash.Net / Eurosport

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  1. Maurice, its a good thing u said maclaren and ron­ dennis, cause I´m hoping Mercedes does get tired and­ hook up with a team ready to win the constructors and­ not just the drivers championship

    From Charles, on Thu 4 Dec 11:06AM

  2. hamib13948
    I totally agree that Heikki is not world­ champion material but still the number of problems he­ had last year comparing to his teammate that had­ practically none has to raise some questions about the­ equality in the team. My opinion is that Mclaren and­ Ron Benis would be best with Lewis alone in the team­ cause all they care about is him.

    From mauricechlela, on Thu 4 Dec 9:06AM

  3. Hi Charles O, Heikki has driven in over 30 F1 races,­ and I have seen no indication that he will ever be top­ rated driver. Do you honestly believe that McLaren­ didn't want him to score more point during the past­ season. Some fans get too attached to drivers and fail­ to see that they are just not fast enough. David­ Coulthard used to made similar claims of favoritism to­ explain Mika Hakkinen being faster than him, but­ Michael Schumaker always told David that he just was­ not fast enough to ever be world champion. Mark my­ word, Heikki might win a few more races in his career,­ but he would never be quick enough to be a world­ champion, no matter what fuel strategy his team­ employs.

    From hamib13948, on Thu 4 Dec 8:37AM

  4. Finnish tears. The guy is not ask good as LH (who I­ dislike) and the policy of the team is already well­ known as being equal. Strategy is something the DRIVER­ has to agree to or not agree to. He has the right to­ agree or not agree a strategy. Whats is his complaint­ really amounts too is, dont make me look like the lousy­ driver I am

    From not printable, on Thu 4 Dec 8:24AM

  5. DDDDRRRREEEEAAAAAMMMMEEEERRR........!!!!!

    From carl, on Thu 4 Dec 8:16AM

  6. hamib, balinger and thier types, U should shut up. In­ an interview u where loads of people are going to­ listen, the logical thing to do is speak up. He is an­ F1 driver and not the house help. He has the right to­ demand for equal treatment/conditions, after all,­ that´s what maclaren claim to be all about. Tha­ favoratism is more than obvious. Same thing that drove­ Alonso out of the team (and everyone knows the real­ losers on that bad deal was MERCEDES). So u guys should­ stop criticizing Heikki for aspiring to make something­ of his career.

    From Charles, on Thu 4 Dec 6:58AM

  7. Given that Kovalinen started with heavier fuel loads he­ should have been the fastest man on track after all the­ top drivers made their first pit stops. I can remember­ that happening very often, if at all, during the 2008­ season. He has done nothing during his 2 years in­ Formula 1 to make me believe that he will be a force to­ be reckon with even if he is given the lightest fuel­ load of all the drivers on the track. My advice to him­ is "shut up and concentrate on driving the car if­ he wants to be around after 2009.

    From hamib13948, on Thu 4 Dec 6:09AM

  8. McLaren did pretty much s crew heinkki over this year,­ and you could tell from practice and q2 times that he­ always had a hiuge amount of fuel, and ofetn was one of­ the later frontrunners to pit. So hopefully McLaren­ will give him the chance next year, and tehy will.
    hes­ pretty amazing.

    From kthille, on Thu 4 Dec 4:52AM

  9. 2008 was bit strange for some drivers in F1 as they had­ to drive race distances without traction control. I­ remember a certain Mr Massa putting his Ferrari in the­ wall at Turn 1 in Melbourne, jus a few hundred metres­ into the GP. It took a little time for some pilots to­ adjust.

    From , on Wed 3 Dec 10:43PM

  10. i think all these drivers need to just shut up and­ prove themselves on the track .

    are you reading this­ heikki .

    From P, on Wed 3 Dec 10:28PM

  11. If I had been at the front more often, then I would­ have won more frequently...
    .
    now that's something­ Mclaren and LH they don't want to see! ;)

    From , on Wed 3 Dec 9:55PM

  12. Like Schumi said in referring to Barichello...

    “Nobody­ can make you slower because of a contract. If you are­ fast, you are fast, and then you are the number­ one.”

    From havoc485,

    ARE YOU KIDDING ME? and what­ aboud team orders?

    "The team knew exactly what­ was taking place," he said. "It's­ something we have to look at for the coming­ year."
    "In all other qualifying sessions, I­ was fuelled more heavily - often the heaviest guy in­ the top six or seven.
    ... If I had been at the front­ more often, then I would have won more­ frequently."

    From , on Wed 3 Dec 9:44PM

  13. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? HEIKKI SHOULD BE LUCKY TO STILL­ HAVE A DRIVE FOR NEXT YEAR BECUASE HE WAS AWFUL LAST­ YEAR IN THE SAME CAR AS LEWIS!!!

    From Matthew B, on Wed 3 Dec 8:17PM

  14. I have questions that need to be put to Heikki.

    1) If­ the heavier fuel load is the only reason that Lewis­ kept outqualifying you in Q3, what is the reason for­ him constantly beating you in both Q1 and Q2?

    2) If­ you had the optimum strategy at Silverstone, why did­ Lewis beat you so comfortably? And if he could do that­ there, why could you get nowhere near him when the­ roles were reversed?

    3) At Monza, where you also had­ the optimum strategy due to Lewis' mistake in Q2,­ why were you a) not as quick as Lewis and b) unable to­ get under Vettel's rearwing all race (something­ that Lewis mnaged to do from 15th)

    I'd also like­ to ask:

    1) Why do Ferrari fans think they have any­ right whatsoever to criticise after the whole­ Schumacher-Barrichello relationship?

    2) Will Alonso­ fans kicking off now sing from the same hymn sheet if­ Piquet wants the same from Fernando?

    3) And whatever­ team, surely the best strategy for Q3 and the race­ shold go to the driver fastest in Q1 and Q2 when the­ cars are both fuelled light?

    From ginger_gitt, on Wed 3 Dec 7:46PM

  15. LoL... Same 'ol nonsensical, irrational, hypocrite­ Ferrari, Massa, Kimi, and Alsono fans.

    Like Schumi­ said in referring to Barichello...

    “Nobody can make­ you slower because of a contract. If you are fast, you­ are fast, and then you are the number one.”

    From --, on Wed 3 Dec 7:46PM

  16. Think back just over twelve months to two F1 Grands­ Prix in 2007, the Italian at Monza, and the Belgian at­ Spa. At Monza the Mclaren boys had a super package, and­ pretty well identical fuel strategies, Mr Hamilton­ pitting first, Mr Alonso two laps later. Mr Raikkonen­ was on a one stop, and Mr Massa had a faulty Ferrari­ and had to retire. Mr Alonso won that one, as his set­ up was mustard, and Mr Hamilton had to settle for­ second after passing Mr Raikkonen on the track. At Spa,­ the complete opposite, the Ferrari boys had the mustard­ car, with Mr Raikkonen unbeatable. Mr Massa trailed a­ slightly slower second. The Ferraris pitted within one­ lap of the other. Mr Alonso and Mr Hamilton were on­ nearly identical fuel strategies, also pitting within­ one lap of each other, but again Mr Alonso had the­ better set up. Mr Alonso was third and Mr Hamilton­ fourth. This all goes to show that circuit, driver,­ individual set up, tyre pressure choices, engine map­ and rev limits make a huge difference to race­ performances, not just the team's dictat.

    From , on Wed 3 Dec 7:42PM

  17. Whilst you are all jumping up and down in anger at this­ mistreatment of Kovy, remember Alonso had the optimium­ fuel strategies last year and we saw how a talented­ driver could deal with that handicap and overcome­ it.

    I don't want to stir this up too much but I­ hear Nelson Piquet Jr is going to be laying down the­ law to Alonso, demanding that he get optimum fuel­ strategy over the spaniard. I hope all the Hamilton­ Haters will be giving as much support to Piquet as they­ are to Kovy.

    I agree 100%

    From l, on Wed 3 Dec 7:20PM

  18. Belgium how Massa could take that win is shameful.

    From l, on Wed 3 Dec 7:08PM

  19. Belgium how Massa could take that win is shameful. ­ Racism won that day and F1 was poorer for such a­ low-down decision made by FIA.

    From l, on Wed 3 Dec 7:07PM

  20. Briatore was right he said Heikki, was a Rubbish driver­ and he been proven right. Lewis was the under dog at­ McLaren in 08 Sir Ron Dennis and McLaren wouldn't­ have spent 70 million getting a double world campion­ (Alonso), to make him lose it's doesn't make­ sense McLaren want to win.

    From l, on Wed 3 Dec 7:01PM
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