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. 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. Lewis beat both Heikki and­ Alonso, Heikki out quailified Lewis on many occasion­ 08, but Heikki, was @#$% during the race. so I­ don't believe his car was alway heavier. Lewis­ had a much heavier car in Brazil and China and that was­ a fact, where was Heikki? McLaren want Lewis to just­ do enough in the last two races and give Heikki a car­ that he would win and take points away from Massa and­ Kimi. Heikki isn't even good enough for force­ Indian the man is a bad joke

    From l, on Wed 3 Dec 7:00PM

  2. 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. Lewis beat both Heikki and­ Alonso, Heikki out quailified Lewis on many occasion­ 08, but Heikki, was @#$% during the race. so I­ don't believe his car was alway heavier. Lewis­ had a much heavier car in Brazil and China and that was­ a fact, where was Heikki? McLaren want Lewis to just­ do enough in the last two races and give Heikki a car­ that he would win and take points away from Massa and­ Kimi. Heikki isn't even good enough for force­ Indian the man is a bad joke

    From l, on Wed 3 Dec 6:57PM

  3. I was at Silverstone, I remember Kovalainen was on pole­ Lewis was in 4th position. Didn't Lewis win in­ Silverstone? Lewis Hamilton, was in a heavier car in­ 2007 didn’t Lewis still go on and beat Alonso in 2007?­ Kimi, likes a heavier car and that a fact. As for­ Massa let not forget about Belgium. I don't think­ Heikki is a good enough driver, I don't like Alonso­ but Alonso got talent unlike Heikki.

    From l, on Wed 3 Dec 6:48PM

  4. I was at Silverstone, I remember Kovalainen was on pole­ Lewis was in 4th position. Didn't Lewis win in­ Silverstone? Lewis Hamilton, was in a heavier car in­ 2007 didn’t Lewis still go on and beat Alonso in 2007?­ Kimi, likes a heavier car and that a fact. As for­ Massa let not forget about Belgium. I don't think­ Heikki is a good enough driver, I don't like Alonso­ but Alonso got talent unlike Heikki.

    From l, on Wed 3 Dec 6:45PM

  5. nice joke from kovalinen he will always be the second­ hand driver to mclaren as long as thier spoiled child­ is still in the team,

    poor kovalinen i feel sorry for­ him

    From screamer, on Wed 3 Dec 6:42PM

  6. I was at Silverstone, I remember Kovalainen was on pole­ Lewis was in 4th position. DiDidn't Lewis beat­ Alonso in 2007? Kimi, likes a heavier car and that a­ fact. As for Massa let not forget about Belgium. I­ don't think Heikki is a good enough driver, I­ don't like Alonso but Alonso got talent unlike­ Heikki.

    From l, on Wed 3 Dec 6:39PM

  7. Wake up Kovalainen; you are nothing more than Hamilton­ and McLarens puppet!!!! They did it with Alonso and­ nothing will change whilst the whinnger is their; the­ same treatment will be dished out to anyone who goes to­ the poison team; do yourself a favour and get out; you­ are too good to be screwed around with

    From Fjk, on Wed 3 Dec 6:38PM

  8. wolf:

    aparently it is the 10%.That's the reason­ why they totally dissmised Alonso (his 10% goes to­ Briatore whatever team he runs for) and Ron ensured­ that he has a nice retirement by buying Alonso in and­ giving preference not just over Alonso, but the­ constructors for two years in a row.Mc Laren/Denis:­ cheaters, bulshiters, spying ferrari and arguiying what­ nobodyelses will (like, yes, you can cut a chicane)...

    From licantropop, on Wed 3 Dec 6:37PM

  9. It's good that you think Massa is the champion­ Imowo, but if I were you I wouldn't watch any races­ next year, because the number 1 is on Hamiltons car, so­ that might ruin that particular fantasy for­ you.

    .

    The extent to the inequality was 2 laps worth­ of fuel, worth at most 0.2 of a second.

    Anyone­ watching last season saw how much Hamilton dominated­ Kovy, and as it seems it is Ferrari fans who are crying­ foul, I can't help but smirk when I thin back to­ Schumi & Barrichello and just how they were treated­ equally.

    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.

    From Scottish C, on Wed 3 Dec 6:37PM

  10. Bill Mac:

    Hamilton was brought back to the track using­ a crane after getting stuck out of the track.He went­ off a few times in that curve during trainings and Ron­ hire a crane to be there just in case.Hamilton is the­ forst driver to be crane lifted during a­ race...

    Telemetries: during the first term of the 2007­ they were using the data from Alonso's car during­ the trainings to adjust both cars as he was much more­ reliable that Hamilton for that.Then Mc Laren used this­ info for both cars.If you are the best driver? how does­ it come that you need someone else to asjust your­ car????

    Mc Laren are kinky cheaters, that manipulate­ the competion even more than Ferrari, which I thought­ it was impossible before 2007...but anyway....I guess­ that everyone will dissagree cos'hamiltons is the­ best kind of argument..whatever...

    From licantropop, on Wed 3 Dec 6:32PM

  11. Heiky you are so naive. How could you belive that R.D.­ will let you to beat his investment?
    R.D. is redy to­ give awai the constructor title just to ensure the­ tytle for L.H.
    I am curious what is his share from­ the income of L.H, Maiby is doing the same manouver as­ Bernie with Hungaroring, he is takeing the publicity­ rights or the tv rights????

    From wolf, on Wed 3 Dec 6:21PM

  12. Massa is the real champion for me..He and Kimi ran on­ alternating fuel loads until the last 3 races when it­ was clear only one person could win...McLaren should­ stop preaching equality if that is what they did to­ heikki this year. Shame on Dennis..

    From Imowo, on Wed 3 Dec 6:13PM

  13. licantropop
    "And don't complain that much,­ after all, in 2008 they did not brought back to the­ track your team mate using a car and he does not use­ your telemetries...."
    What?

    From BigBill, on Wed 3 Dec 5:58PM

  14. oh!, I thought that there wasn't a second driver­ for Mc Laren?.That's what they said to Alonso,­ didn't they. Kovalainen, you are crazy saying that,­ now you will be a r.acis.t, a grumpy person that does­ not accept loosing, a traitor, etc,etc,etc...And­ don't complain that much, after all, in 2008 they­ did not brought back to the track your team mate using­ a car and he does not use your telemetries....

    From licantropop, on Wed 3 Dec 5:26PM

  15. Chris T, that wasnt me it was best friend Kev. The­ things he said about me I am all tearful pet.
    Neither­ me or that brup brup Kevin are peruvian or german and­ we are both reasonable men.

    From , on Wed 3 Dec 5:03PM

  16. Hekki is a journeyman. Uncle Flavio already knew it.

    From Count Louis Zborowski, on Wed 3 Dec 4:37PM

  17. Hello Clarence / Marnio.
    Any news from Timo?

    From Count Louis Zborowski, on Wed 3 Dec 4:36PM

  18. annaparker37
    You just put it so much more eloquently!

    From Count Louis Zborowski, on Wed 3 Dec 4:36PM

  19. Oh SHAUN C, your such a @#$%.
    Kevin again.

    From , on Wed 3 Dec 4:35PM

  20. Hello boys its kevin clarence is running the vac­ cleaner around.
    That Heikki Kovalainen is sooooo dishy,­ ooh I dont know.
    dajstadas you are quite right luv they­ could easily bring both cars in at the same time. Doh,­ its not rocket science pet. Its that big Ron, just too­ tight to have a second pit, now how difficult can it­ be.
    But dajstadas luv he did say to big Ron. Big Ron­ (He said) I want more fuel and big Ron just clipped him­ round ear, no wonder that queen clarence likes big Ron­ so much, he is such a tart luvs.
    Oooh better go the­ queens just turned the vac cleaner off.
    Bye Bye luvly­ boys
    Kev

    From , on Wed 3 Dec 4:32PM
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