Heikki Kovalainen

Infobox F1 driver
Name = Heikki Kovalainen

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Caption = Kovalainen at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix.
Nationality = flagicon|FIN Finnish
Car number = 23
Team = McLaren-Mercedes
Team for 2007 = Renault F1 Team
Races = 32
Championships = 0
Wins = 1
Podiums = 4
Points = 81
Poles = 1
Fastest laps = 2
First race = 2007 Australian Grand Prix
First win = 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix
Latest win = 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix
Last race = 2008 Singapore Grand Prix
Last season = 2007
Last position = 7th (30 pts)
Heikki Johannes [cite web |url= http://www.mil.fi/maavoimat/joukot/hamr/uotskah2.dsp|title=Urheilukoulussa saapumiserässä II / 2000 tulleet |accessdate=2008-09-11 |work= |publisher=Pulustusvoimat |date= fi] Kovalainen (born October 19, 1981 in Suomussalmi, Finland) is a racing driver. He began his Formula One career with the reigning champion Renault team in F1|2007. He moved to McLaren for F1|2008, where he partners Lewis Hamilton. He will stay with the team for the F1|2009 season. He is the 100th driver to win an F1 Grand Prix.

Karting career

Kovalainen's career began in karting, much like that of many other F1 racers. His karting career lasted from 1991 to 2000, during which time he finished runner-up in Finnish Formula A in 1999. Then in 2000 he became Nordic champion and won the Elf Masters. He was also elected Finnish Driver of The Year.

Pre-F1 racing career

Formula Renault

Kovalainen began his car racing career in the British Formula Renault championship, which fellow Finn Kimi Räikkönen had won the previous year before moving straight into Formula 1 with Sauber. Kovalainen's apprenticeship in the junior categories of motor sport was more conventional, but was remarkable in that he used Renault power at every step along the way. cite web | title = Who's Who: Heikki Kovalainen | publisher = F1Fanatic.co.uk | year = 2006 | url = http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/f1-information/whos-who/whos-who-k/heikki-kovalainen/ | accessdate =2006-12-12]

He finished fourth in the championship with two wins, two pole positions and three fastest laps, and earned the Rookie of the Year award.

Formula 3

Kovalainen attracted the support of the Renault Driver Development programme and in 2002 moved up to the British F3 series with Fortec Motorsport who used Renault engines. He became one of the most competitive drivers on the grid by the second half of the season and all five of his wins came in the final nine races. With three pole positions, three fastest laps and third overall in the championship behind Robbie Kerr and James Courtney he was again Rookie of the Year.

He also demonstrated strong form in the international F3 rounds, with second place at the Macau Grand Prix and fourth place at the Zandvoort Marlboro Masters.

World Series by Nissan

Kovalainen moved into the Renault-owned World Series by Nissan in 2003 - but faced a tough team mate at the Gabord team in Franck Montagny. Montagny had already spent two seasons in the World Series by Nissan and won the title in 2001. Montagny won the title with nine wins to Kovalainen's one.

The Finn stayed in World Series by Nissan for 2004 but moved to the Pons team and won the championship ahead of Tiago Monteiro, with 192 points and six wins.

Race of Champions

Kovalainen competed in the 2004 Race of Champions at the Stade de France in Paris. He became the first non-rally driver to win the "Henri Toivonen Memorial Trophy" and earn the title "Champion of Champions", beating World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb in the finals. He also participated in the Nations' Cup alongside countryman Marcus Grönholm. Their team finished in second place after Kovalainen's Ferrari 360 Modena broke down in the finals, ironically, losing to Loeb and the French team. Kovalainen's feat included winning over Loeb in a WRC car, although he had never even sat in a rally car before, and over the Ferrari Formula One star Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari 360 Modena.

Results

Complete Formula One results

() (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in "italics" indicate fastest lap)* Season in progress

References

External links

* [http://www.heikkikovalainen.net/eng/ Heikki Kovalainen - Fansite website]
* [http://www.heikkikovalainenbrasil.com/ Brazilian Fansite]

Persondata
NAME=Kovalainen, Heikki
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Finnish racing driver
DATE OF BIRTH=October 19, 1981
PLACE OF BIRTH=Suomussalmi, Finland
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=