Heikki Johannes Kovalainen (born October 19, 1981 in
SuomussalmiSuomussalmi is a municipality in Finland and is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of...
,
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
) is a
FinnishFinland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
Formula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1, and currently officially referred to as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants...
racing driver currently racing for the McLaren Mercedes team.
He was supported by the
RenaultRenault F1 is the Renault company's Formula One racing team. Renault has a long though intermittent history of involvement in motor racing, including Ferenc Szisz winning the first French Grand Prix, usually regarded as marking the birth of Grand Prix motor racing...
Driver Development programme early in his racing career, during which he won the World Series by Nissan championship and finished runner-up in the
GP2 seriesThe GP2 Series, GP2 for short, is a form of motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000. The format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, while Ecclestone also has the rights to the name GP1...
. Renault signed him on as a full-time
Formula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1, and currently officially referred to as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants...
test driver for , and then promoted him to a race seat for . He gained his first podium by finishing second in the
Japanese Grand PrixThe 2007 Japanese Grand Prix was the fifteenth race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held on 30 September at the recently revised Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Shizuoka, in very heavy rain and misty conditions. For 20 years the Japanese Grand Prix was held at Suzuka, but in 2007 it returned to Fuji...
.
He moved to McLaren for the season, where he partners
Lewis HamiltonLewis Carl Davidson Hamilton MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren Mercedes team and is the youngest ever Formula One World Champion...
. His second season saw him achieve his first pole position at
SilverstoneThe 2008 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 6, 2008 at the Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, England. It was the 9th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 60 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after starting from fourth...
and his first victory at
HungaroringThe 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 3, 2008 at the Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary. It was the 11th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 70 laps, was won by Heikki Kovalainen for the McLaren team after starting from second...
, becoming the 100th driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix. He remained with the team for the season.
Karting (1991-2000)
Kovalainen's career began in
kart racingKart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motor sport with simple, small four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
, much like that of many other
Formula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1, and currently officially referred to as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants...
drivers. He competed in karting from 1991 to 2000, during which time he finished runner-up in the Finnish Formula A championship in 1999 and 2000. In 2000 he won the
NordicThe Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories which include the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
championship and the
Paris-BercyThe Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, often abbreviated as POPB or Bercy, is an indoor sports arena in the 12th arrondissement of Paris....
Elf Masters event, as well as finished third in the World Formula Super A Championship, leading him to be elected as the Finnish Kart Driver of the Year.
Formula Renault (2001)
Kovalainen began his car racing career in the British
Formula RenaultFormula Renault is a class of formula racing founded in 1971. It is popular in Europe and other countries. Regarded as an entry-level series to motor racing, it is a respected series where drivers can learn advanced racecraft before moving on to Formula Three, World Series by Renault, GP2 or...
championship, which fellow Finn
Kimi RäikkönenKimi-Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish Formula One race car driver, currently driving for Scuderia Ferrari. He was the 2007 Formula One World Drivers' Champion....
had won the previous year before moving straight into Formula One with
SauberSauber is a Swiss constructor of racing cars for sportscar racing and Formula One.Their best results in Formula One were six third place finishes and two front row starts. The team's most successful season was 2001 when they finished fourth in the constructors' championship...
. Kovalainen's apprenticeship in the junior categories of motor sport was more conventional, but was remarkable in that he used
RenaultRenault F1 is the Renault company's Formula One racing team. Renault has a long though intermittent history of involvement in motor racing, including Ferenc Szisz winning the first French Grand Prix, usually regarded as marking the birth of Grand Prix motor racing...
power at every step along the way.
He finished fourth in the championship with two wins, two pole positions, five podiums and three fastest laps, earning the Rookie of the Year award. He also took part in the
Formula ThreeFormula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
Macau Grand PrixThe Macau Grand Prix is a motor-racing event held annually in November in the streets of Macau. It is known for being the only street circuit racing event in which both car and motorcycle races are held...
, where he finished eighth.
Formula Three (2002)
Kovalainen attracted the support of the Renault Driver Development programme and in 2002 moved up to the British F3 series with
Fortec MotorsportFortec Motorsport, or Fortec Motorsport Ltd. is a motor-racing team, that races in Formula Three, Formula Renault and most recently Formula BMW...
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 KerrRobert "Robbie" Kerr is an British race car driver from England.-Early career:In 2002 he became the British Formula Three Champion for Alan Docking Racing with 306 points ahead of Australian racing driver James Courtney.Following an abortive attempt at International Formula 3000 in 2003, Kerr did...
and
James CourtneyJames Courtney is an Australian racing driver who competes in the V8 Supercar series in Australia for Dick Johnson Racing....
he was again Rookie of the Year.
He also demonstrated strong form in the international F3 rounds, with second place at the
Macau Grand PrixThe Macau Grand Prix is a motor-racing event held annually in November in the streets of Macau. It is known for being the only street circuit racing event in which both car and motorcycle races are held...
and fourth place at the
ZandvoortCircuit Park Zandvoort is a motorsport race track located in the dunes near the town of Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, near the North Sea coast line.- History :...
Marlboro MastersThe Masters of Formula 3 is a Formula 3 race held annually, usually at the Circuit Park Zandvoort in the Netherlands. Due to noise restrictions in the Zandvoort area, the 2007 and 2008 races were held in the Belgian circuit of Zolder...
.
World Series by Nissan (2003-2004)
Kovalainen moved into the Renault-owned World Series by Nissan in 2003 - but faced a tough team mate at the Gabord team in
Franck MontagnyFranck Montagny is a French motor racing driver. He briefly raced for the Super Aguri Formula One team in 2006.-Early career:...
. Montagny had already spent two seasons in the World Series and had won the championship in 2001. Montagny won the 2003 title with nine wins to Kovalainen's one.
The Finn stayed in the World Series for 2004, but moved to the Pons Racing team. Kovalainen won the championship ahead of
Tiago MonteiroTiago Vagaroso da Costa Monteiro is a racing driver who drove for Jordan, Midland and Spyker MF1 Racing Formula One teams—all progressive iterations of the same team as it was bought up by new owners—during a two year stint as part of the Formula 1 circus...
, with 192 points and six wins.
With
Kimi RäikkönenKimi-Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish Formula One race car driver, currently driving for Scuderia Ferrari. He was the 2007 Formula One World Drivers' Champion....
finishing seventh in
Formula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1, and currently officially referred to as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants...
and
Marcus GrönholmMarcus "Bosse" Grönholm is a former Finnish rally driver. Driving for Peugeot, he won the World Rally Championship in 2000 and 2002. After Peugeot withdrew from the World Rally Championship, Grönholm moved to Ford for the 2006 season and placed second in the drivers' world championship, losing the...
fifth in the
World Rally ChampionshipThe World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver, co-driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system...
, Kovalainen was awarded as the Finnish Driver of the Year.
Race of Champions
Kovalainen competed in the
2004 Race of ChampionsThe 2004 Race of Champions took place on December 6 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The individual event was won by Heikki Kovalainen, and the team event by Jean Alesi and Sébastien Loeb representing France...
at the
Stade de FranceThe Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 81,338 and is used for the French rugby union team during the Six Nations and other major internationals...
in
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In the first two rounds he defeated
Formula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1, and currently officially referred to as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants...
drivers
David CoulthardDavid Marshall Coulthard, often called DC, is a British former Formula One racing driver from Scotland. By virtue of a long career he has amassed a notable points haul, and lies seventh on the all-time scorers list, being the top British scorer...
and
Jean AlesiJean Alesi is a French racing driver of Italian origins. His Formula One career included spells at Tyrrell, Benetton, Sauber, Prost, Jordan and most notably Ferrari where he proved very popular among the Tifosi....
, and then
FerrariScuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. The racing team has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929. Currently the team races in Formula One only, under the team name "Scuderia...
Formula One star
Michael SchumacherMichael Schumacher is a German former Formula One driver and seven-time Formula One world drivers' champion, and current advisor for Ferrari. According to the official Formula One website, he is "statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen"...
in a Ferrari 360 Modena in the semi-finals. He then beat
World Rally ChampionThe World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver, co-driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system...
Sébastien LoebSébastien Loeb, Légion d'honneur is a French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën Total World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship...
in the finals using the Ferrari and a
Peugeot 307The Peugeot 307 is a small family car produced by the French Peugeot manufacturer since 2001. It was awarded the European Car of the Year title for 2002, and continues in production as of 2008 despite the launch of the 308 in September 2007.-History:The 307 was presented as the 307 Prométhée...
WRC car, although Kovalainen had never even sat in a rally car before.
He became the first non-rally driver to win the
Henri ToivonenHenri Toivonen was a Finnish rally driver born in Jyväskylä, the home of Rally Finland. His father, Pauli Toivonen, was the 1968 European Rally Champion for Porsche and his brother, Harri Toivonen, became a professional circuit racer.Toivonen's first World Rally Championship victory came with a...
Memorial Trophy and earn the title "Champion of Champions".
He also participated in the Nations Cup alongside countryman
Marcus GrönholmMarcus "Bosse" Grönholm is a former Finnish rally driver. Driving for Peugeot, he won the World Rally Championship in 2000 and 2002. After Peugeot withdrew from the World Rally Championship, Grönholm moved to Ford for the 2006 season and placed second in the drivers' world championship, losing the...
. Their team finished in second place after Kovalainen's Ferrari 360 Modena broke down in the finals, losing to the French team of Loeb and Alesi.
He returned to the Race of Champions in
2005The 2005 Race of Champions took place on December 3 again at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.The individual event was won by Sébastien Loeb after Tom Kristensen crashed out of the final, and the Nations Cup event by Tom Kristensen and Mattias Ekström representing Scandinavia.Changes from the...
, defeating Bernd Schneider and
Felipe MassaFelipe Massa is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver. He finished a close second in the 2008 Drivers' World Championship, and is under contract to race for Scuderia Ferrari until the end of the season...
, but was then knocked out in the semi-finals by
Tom KristensenTom Kristensen is a Danish racing driver. He has won many championships in auto racing but his most famous achievement is being the only person to win the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times, six of which were consecutive...
.
Kovalainen made another impact in the Race of Champions in
2006The 2006 Race of Champions took place on December 16 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.The Nations' Cup was competed first and the event was won by Finland, with Heikki Kovalainen winning over United States' Travis Pastrana on the final round...
by winning the Nations Cup together with
Marcus GrönholmMarcus "Bosse" Grönholm is a former Finnish rally driver. Driving for Peugeot, he won the World Rally Championship in 2000 and 2002. After Peugeot withdrew from the World Rally Championship, Grönholm moved to Ford for the 2006 season and placed second in the drivers' world championship, losing the...
. In the individual event he was again eliminated in the semi-finals by
Mattias EkströmMattias Ekström is a racing driver from Sweden. He has been competing in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters for Audi since 2001....
by a mere 0.0002 seconds.
In
2007The 2007 Race of Champions took place on December 16 at the Wembley Stadium. Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel of the German team beat Finland to the Nation's Cup, however Mattias Ekström of Sweden and the Scandinavian team won the Driver's Cup after beating Schumacher in the three-heat...
, Kovalainen was strong again. He and his partner
Marcus GrönholmMarcus "Bosse" Grönholm is a former Finnish rally driver. Driving for Peugeot, he won the World Rally Championship in 2000 and 2002. After Peugeot withdrew from the World Rally Championship, Grönholm moved to Ford for the 2006 season and placed second in the drivers' world championship, losing the...
carried
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
to the Nations Cup final, where they lost to the
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
team of
Michael SchumacherMichael Schumacher is a German former Formula One driver and seven-time Formula One world drivers' champion, and current advisor for Ferrari. According to the official Formula One website, he is "statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen"...
and
Sebastian VettelSebastian Vettel is a German race car driver. He drives for Red Bull Racing having replaced former driver David Coulthard....
. Kovalainen beat Vettel in the individual race, before crashing on the finish line in the next round against
Andy PriaulxAndrew Graham Priaulx, MBE is a racing driver, European Touring Car Championship champion, and three times World Touring Car Championship champion. He is the only FIA Touring Car champion to win at International level championship for four consecutive years...
. He crossed the line out of control, and Priaulx pipped him.
GP2 Series (2005)
In
2005The 2005 GP2 Series season started in Imola, San Marino on April 23, and ended in Manama, Bahrain on September 30. The season was won by the German Nico Rosberg, with the Finn Heikki Kovalainen finishing second....
, Kovalainen entered the
GP2 SeriesThe GP2 Series, GP2 for short, is a form of motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000. The format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, while Ecclestone also has the rights to the name GP1...
, the new 'feeder' series for F1 and the successor to Formula 3000. Driving for the
Arden InternationalArden International is an international Formula 3000/GP2 Series team, created by Christian Horner.Initially created to raise up Horner's career, and then reliant on sponsorship from Viktor Maslov, the team began to get good results and was the best team of Formula 3000 in its last years, showing...
team, Kovalainen began the season with strong results by winning the first ever round of the new championship in
ImolaThe Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello.The circuit is named after Ferrari's late founder Enzo and his son Dino who had died in the 1950s...
and then finishing third in the sprint race. In
BarcelonaThe Circuit de Catalunya aka Circuit de Barcelona is a racetrack in Montmeló, to the north of Barcelona, Catalonia. It is home to the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix and the motorcycle Catalonia Grand Prix. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Catalunya is seen as an...
he scored his third consecutive podium, but in the sprint race his car stalled on the grid. He dominated the race in
MonacoCircuit de Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the principality of Monaco. It is commonly referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside the Monte Carlo neighbourhood of Monaco.The circuit is used on one weekend in...
by claiming pole position, leading the race for the first 21 laps and clocking the fastest lap of the race. Problems during his pitstop, however, dropped him down to fifth. At the
NürburgringThe Nürburgring, simply known as "The Ring" by enthusiasts, is a motorsport race track in Nürburg, Germany. It was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel, which is about south of Cologne, and northwest of Frankfurt...
he gave his best performance yet, by winning the race from 17th on the grid. In the sprint race
José María LópezJosé María López is a race car driver. He raced in the 2006 GP2 Series for the Super Nova team, having previously raced for the DAMS team the previous year, and the CMS team in Formula 3000....
caused a collision which forced Kovalainen to retire. At
Magny-CoursCircuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers. It is most famous for staging the Formula One French Grand Prix, which has been held here between 1991 and 2008...
he won again from fourth on the grid, and came third in the sprint race.
At this point in the season, however, a resurgent
Nico RosbergNico Rosberg is a racing driver for the Williams Formula One team. He races under the German flag in Formula One, although he competed for Finland earlier in his career...
with his
ART Grand PrixART Grand Prix is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. It was founded in 2005.-Creation:ART Grand Prix was created in a collaborative project between Frédéric Vasseur, the principal of ASM Formule 3, and Nicolas Todt, the son of Ferrari's former CEO Jean Todt...
team seemed to find more speed and began scoring victories, emerging as Kovalainen's main rival for the championship. Kovalainen and
ArdenArden International is an international Formula 3000/GP2 Series team, created by Christian Horner.Initially created to raise up Horner's career, and then reliant on sponsorship from Viktor Maslov, the team began to get good results and was the best team of Formula 3000 in its last years, showing...
fought back, scoring podiums and points positions in
SilverstoneThe Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, England, named after the village in the former. It is best known as the home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted in 1948 and which has been held on the circuit every year since 1987...
,
HockenheimThe Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Amongst other motor racing events, it holds the annual Formula One German Grand Prix...
and
HungaroringThe Hungaroring is a Formula One racing circuit in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary where the Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain. Bernie Ecclestone wanted a race in the USSR, but a Hungarian friend of his...
, but were unable to find the necessary speed to beat Rosberg. In Istanbul's feature race Kovalainen finished tenth due to engine problems, but in the sprint race held in wet conditions he returned to his winning ways. At
MonzaAutodromo Nazionale Monza is a motorsport race track near the town of Monza, Italy, north of Milan. It is one of the most historic motor racing circuits in the world.-Overview:...
Arden were fast again, and Kovalainen snatched his second pole of the season and won the feature race. In the sprint race he could only manage fifth position, however, and this meant that with four races left in the season, Kovalainen was leading Rosberg by only four points.
After a chaotic weekend at
SpaThe Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is considered to be one of the most challenging race tracks in the world,...
affected by rain and Safety Cars, Rosberg took the lead from Kovalainen. In the final two rounds in
BahrainThe Bahrain International Circuit is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 and an annual Formula One Grand Prix. The 2004 Grand Prix was the first held in the Middle East. Since 2006, Australian V8 Supercar has been raced at the BIC and the V8 races are named as the...
, Rosberg and ART seemed to be unmatched again, and he secured the championship by winning the feature race with Kovalainen finishing third. Retiring from the last sprint race, Kovalainen finished runner-up in the series, 15 points adrift.
2004-2006
Kovalainen,
Franck MontagnyFranck Montagny is a French motor racing driver. He briefly raced for the Super Aguri Formula One team in 2006.-Early career:...
and
José María LópezJosé María López is a race car driver. He raced in the 2006 GP2 Series for the Super Nova team, having previously raced for the DAMS team the previous year, and the CMS team in Formula 3000....
tested the
Renault R23BThe Renault R23 is a Formula One car that competed in the 2003 Formula One season. The driver lineup were Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso who replaced Jenson Button who left for British American Racing....
F1 car at Barcelona in December 2003. Kovalainen also tested for
MinardiMinardi was an automobile racing team and constructor founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. It competed in the Formula One World Championship from 1985 until 2005 with little success, nevertheless acquiring a loyal following of fans...
, but Renault made him second test driver alongside Montagny for .
Kovalainen was promoted in Montagny's place at the end of and spent the season in a full-time testing role, logging over 28,000 km of testing.
Renault's lead driver
Fernando AlonsoFernando Alonso Díaz is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time World Champion, racing for the Renault team....
had signed for McLaren for the season, and Renault elected to promote Kovalainen in his place, which they confirmed on September 6, 2006. Team boss
Flavio BriatoreFlavio Briatore is an Italian businessman. He was manager or principal of two Formula One racing teams, most recently with Renault F1 from 2000 to 2009. Since 2007, he has been part-owner and chairman of London's Queens Park Rangers F.C...
said: "With Kovalainen, I hope to find the anti-Alonso."
2007
Kovalainen made his race debut at the
2007 Australian Grand PrixThe 2007 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 18, 2007 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia. It was the first race of the 2007 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team after...
. His season got off to a rough start; he made several mistakes during the race, finishing tenth.
Flavio BriatoreFlavio Briatore is an Italian businessman. He was manager or principal of two Formula One racing teams, most recently with Renault F1 from 2000 to 2009. Since 2007, he has been part-owner and chairman of London's Queens Park Rangers F.C...
felt it was a disappointing debut for the young Finn and hoped the real Kovalainen would show up next time.
Kovalainen scored his first World Championship point in his second Grand Prix at
Sepang, MalaysiaThe IX Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race, held on 8 April, 2007 at the Sepang International Circuit and the second race of the 2007 Formula One season. Reigning world champion Fernando Alonso won the race from second on the grid, with McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton...
, and followed this with a ninth place in
BahrainThe 2007 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix is a Formula One motor race and is the third round of the 2007 Formula One season. It took place on the weekend of the 13-15 April at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain....
. He then secured seventh place in
BarcelonaThe 2007 Gran Premio de España Telefónica was a Formula One motor race, fourth round of the 2007 Formula One season, won by Felipe Massa. It was held on the weekend of 11-13 May at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain.-Background:...
, outperforming team-mate
Giancarlo FisichellaGiancarlo Fisichella , also known as Fisico, Giano or Fisi, is an Italian racing driver. He has driven in Formula One for Minardi, Jordan, Benetton, Sauber, Renault, Force India and is currently driving for Ferrari in place of the injured Felipe Massa...
. He was well down the order in
MonacoThe 2007 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race and was the fifth round of the 2007 Formula One season. It took place from 24-27 May at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo. The race itself commenced at 14:00 CET , Sunday, May 27, and lasted about 1 hour and 40 minutes...
, finishing 13th.
In
CanadaThe 2007 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 10 June, 2007, at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. It was the sixth race of the 2007 Formula One season...
he made mistakes throughout practice, including one at the exit of turn 7, and hit the barrier. He crashed at the first chicane in qualifying, and damaged his rear wing significantly, and failed to make it through to the second qualifying session. In the race he made progress early on, and then halted. He had luck with the strategy and the Safety Car, and a podium was within his grasp, but he could not find a way past
Alexander WurzAlexander Wurz is an Austrian racing driver. Hecompeted in Formula One from 1997 until 2007, and is also a two-time winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours....
of
WilliamsWilliamsF1, the trading name of Williams Grand Prix Engineering Ltd., is a Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. The team was formed in 1977 after two earlier and, compared with WilliamsF1's achievements, unsuccessful F1...
, who had also started towards the rear of the pack. Kovalainen was pulling away from the
FerrariScuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. The racing team has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929. Currently the team races in Formula One only, under the team name "Scuderia...
of
Kimi RäikkönenKimi-Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish Formula One race car driver, currently driving for Scuderia Ferrari. He was the 2007 Formula One World Drivers' Champion....
in the closing stages, which was a real confidence booster for the team.
In the
United States Grand PrixThe 2007 United States Grand Prix was the seventh race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was also the last Formula 1 race held in the United States. It was held on 15–17 June at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway...
at
Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayThe Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race....
he also scored a solid result. He qualified well, and a good start saw him go past Räikkönen into fifth place. He held Räikkönen off, and led the race at the end of his first stint when the cars ahead of him made their pit stops. He re-joined behind the Ferrari and looked comfortable in sixth place until
Nick HeidfeldNick Lars Heidfeld is a German Formula One racing driver, who is currently driving for the BMW Sauber team....
's
BMW SauberBMW Sauber F1 is a Formula One team with bases in Hinwil, Switzerland and Munich, Germany. The team was formed at the end of 2005 as a result of a takeover of the existing Sauber Formula One team by German car manufacturer BMW after their partnership with Williams. The team scored two podium...
broke down in front of him, and Kovalainen took over Heidfeld's fifth place, while team-mate Fisichella failed to score points.
The second half of the European season failed to produce equally strong results, but it did keep the points tally ticking over. During the
French Grand PrixThe 2007 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 1, 2007 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours, France. It was the 8th race of the 2007 Formula One season. The race, contested over 70 laps, was won by Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team after starting from...
at
Magny-CoursCircuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers. It is most famous for staging the Formula One French Grand Prix, which has been held here between 1991 and 2008...
, there would be disappointment. He was with his team mate until the sharp Adelaide hairpin, when
Jarno TrulliJarno Trulli is an Italian Formula One auto racing driver currently driving for the Toyota team.-Early days:...
's
ToyotaPanasonic Toyota Racing is a Formula One team owned by Japanese car manufacturer Toyota and based in Cologne, Germany. Toyota announced their plans to participate in F1 in 1999, and after extensive testing with their TF101 initial car, the team made their debut in 2002...
made an optimistic lunge up the inside of Kovalainen which wrecked both drivers' races. Kovalainen had to go back to the pits for some repair work and eventually finished 15th. Seventh place at the
British Grand PrixThe 2007 British Grand Prix was the ninth race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held from 6 to July 8 at the Silverstone Circuit. The race was won by Kimi Räikkönen after overtaking pole position driver Lewis Hamilton during the first round of pit stops...
was no disaster, with Fisichella finishing behind him.
The
NürburgringThe 2007 European Grand Prix was the tenth race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held from 20 to July 22 at the Nürburgring.On August 29 2006 it was announced that the European Grand Prix had been removed from the F1 calendar for the 2007 season. From then there will only be one GP hosted in...
only gave Kovalainen a point, although a better strategy may have seen him on the podium. The
HungaroringThe 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix was the eleventh race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held from 3 to August 5 at the Hungaroring in Budapest...
only brought him one point as well, although
Istanbul ParkThe 2007 Turkish Grand Prix was the twelfth race of the 2007 Formula One season. Won by Felipe Massa, it was held from 24 to August 26 at the Istanbul Park in Istanbul. It was the third time a Formula One race had been held here...
netted three, with Kovalainen coming ahead of
Robert KubicaRobert Kubica is the first Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. From 2006 he has driven for the BMW Sauber F1 team, promoted from test driver to race driver during 2006. In June 2008, Kubica took his maiden F1 victory in the chaotic Canadian Grand Prix, becoming the 99th driver to win a...
. Kovalainen led the Grand Prix there for a while, when the cars ahead of him made their pit stops. Seventh place at
MonzaThe 2007 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held from 7 to 9 September 2007 at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy. It was the thirteenth race of the 2007 Formula One season....
was a fair result.
The team took a gamble in the next race at
Spa-FrancorchampsThe 2007 Belgian Grand Prix was the fourteenth race of the 2007 Formula One season, returning to the F1 calendar after a year's absence. It was held on 16 September at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa, Belgium....
, with Kovalainen on a one-stop strategy while his challengers for the rear end of the points were all on two-stop strategies, which included the BMW's of Heidfeld and Kubica (who was docked ten places down the grid due to an engine change),
Nico RosbergNico Rosberg is a racing driver for the Williams Formula One team. He races under the German flag in Formula One, although he competed for Finland earlier in his career...
and
Mark WebberMark Alan Webber is an Australian Formula One driver. In 2002 he became the first Australian to race in Formula One since David Brabham in 1994...
. A good start from Kovalainen saw him become a mobile chicane for all of them except Webber. The gamble did not pay off, although Kovalainen held off Kubica in the closing stages to secure the final points position. Better was to come at the
Japanese Grand PrixThe 2007 Japanese Grand Prix was the fifteenth race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held on 30 September at the recently revised Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Shizuoka, in very heavy rain and misty conditions. For 20 years the Japanese Grand Prix was held at Suzuka, but in 2007 it returned to Fuji...
at
Fuji Speedwayis a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s and hosted the first Formula One race in Japan in 1976. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and national racing...
, where, despite not making it through to the final qualifying session, Kovalainen raced well. While most of his rivals got into trouble one way or another in the hazardous wet conditions, Kovalainen did not and held off Kimi Räikkönen in the closing laps to take second place and his first podium in Formula One.
At the
Chinese Grand PrixThe 2007 Chinese Grand Prix was the sixteenth race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held on 5–7 October at Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China. The race was won by Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen with Fernando Alonso finishing second and Felipe Massa finishing third...
he came in ninth. In
BrazilThe 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix was the seventeenth and last race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held from 19 to October 21 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo. The Championship was decided in the race, which was won by Kimi Räikkönen...
Kovalainen made a mistake in qualifying and was left 17th on the grid. At the start of the race his team-mate Fisichella was involved in a collision with
Sakon Yamamotois a Japanese racing driver. He competed in 14 Formula One Grands Prix during the and 2007 seasons.- Before Formula One:Yamamoto began his racing career in 1994 at the Suzuka Circuit Racing School , and worked his way up through the ranks, to become the test/third driver for the Jordan Formula One...
, which in turn caused
Ralf SchumacherRalf Schumacher is a German racing driver, and the younger brother of seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher...
to collide with Kovalainen, forcing him to pit. On lap 36 he felt a vibration at the left rear, and suddenly the back end of the car snapped, launching Kovalainen into the barriers. The retirement, possibly caused by damage from the collision with Schumacher, was his first of the season, meaning he lost the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of becoming the first driver to finish all of the races in his first season. As it stands, he shares the record for most consecutive finishes from start of career with
Tiago MonteiroTiago Vagaroso da Costa Monteiro is a racing driver who drove for Jordan, Midland and Spyker MF1 Racing Formula One teams—all progressive iterations of the same team as it was bought up by new owners—during a two year stint as part of the Formula 1 circus...
, both having finished 16 races.
McLaren (2008– )
At the end of the 2007 season
Fernando AlonsoFernando Alonso Díaz is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time World Champion, racing for the Renault team....
switched back to Renault, and Kovalainen was left with offers from
ToyotaPanasonic Toyota Racing is a Formula One team owned by Japanese car manufacturer Toyota and based in Cologne, Germany. Toyota announced their plans to participate in F1 in 1999, and after extensive testing with their TF101 initial car, the team made their debut in 2002...
and McLaren. On 14 December 2007 it was confirmed that Kovalainen would replace Alonso once again and drive for McLaren Mercedes for the
2008 Formula One seasonThe 2008 Formula One season was the 59th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It began on 16 March and ended on 2 November with eighteen Grand Prix races....
alongside
Lewis HamiltonLewis Carl Davidson Hamilton MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren Mercedes team and is the youngest ever Formula One World Champion...
. Kovalainen is the fourth Finn to race for the Woking based team, following
Keke RosbergKeijo Erik Rosberg , nicknamed "Keke", is a Finnish former racing driver and winner of the 1982 Formula One World Championship. He was the first Finnish driver to compete regularly in the series. Rosberg grew up in Oulu and Iisalmi, Finland...
,
Mika HäkkinenMika Pauli Häkkinen is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion...
and
Kimi RäikkönenKimi-Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish Formula One race car driver, currently driving for Scuderia Ferrari. He was the 2007 Formula One World Drivers' Champion....
.
2008
Kovalainen began his first official testing session with McLaren on January 9 2008 with
Pedro de la RosaPedro Martínez de la Rosa is a Formula One driver, originally from Catalonia, Spain, currently the test driver and reserve driver for the Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes team. De la Rosa has participated in 72 Grands Prix, debuting on March 7, 1999 becoming one of very few drivers to score a point at...
at
JerezCircuito de Jerez , formerly known as Circuito Permanente de Jerez, is a 4,428 m racing circuit located in the city of Jerez de la Frontera, deep within the sherry-producing south of Spain...
, and continued the next day with Lewis Hamilton.
In his first race at the
2008 Australian Grand PrixThe 2008 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 16 March 2008 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia. It was the first race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after...
he was quickest in the first qualifying session and started third on the grid behind
Lewis HamiltonLewis Carl Davidson Hamilton MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren Mercedes team and is the youngest ever Formula One World Champion...
and
Robert KubicaRobert Kubica is the first Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. From 2006 he has driven for the BMW Sauber F1 team, promoted from test driver to race driver during 2006. In June 2008, Kubica took his maiden F1 victory in the chaotic Canadian Grand Prix, becoming the 99th driver to win a...
. He overtook Fernando Alonso on the final lap, but then accidentally hit the pit lane limiter granting fourth place to Alonso, himself finishing fifth. The fastest lap of the race went to Kovalainen.
In
MalaysiaThe 2008 Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 23, 2008 at the Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Malaysia. It was the 2nd race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 56 laps, was won by Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team after starting...
he set the third fastest time of the final qualifying session, but was penalised five places for blocking Nick Heidfeld's BMW Sauber in the latter stages of the session. Kovalainen finished the race third as his teammate Lewis Hamilton faced problems in the pits, and Ferrari's Felipe Massa retired due to a spin.
In
BahrainThe 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on April 6, 2008 at the Bahrain International Circuit, in Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the third race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 57 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team...
he flatspotted a tyre on the first lap and was consequently well off the pace of the Ferraris and the BMW Saubers. Towards the end he improved and recorded the fastest lap of the race again, coming home fifth.
At the
Spanish Grand PrixThe 2008 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on April 27, 2008 at the Circuit de Catalunya, Spain. It was the fourth race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 66 laps, was won by Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team after starting from pole position...
on 27 April 2008, the cars ahead of Kovalainen had pitted and he had just taken the lead, when his front-left tyre suddenly deflated and his car crashed into the tyre wall on lap 22. Kovalainen's car was almost completely buried under the tyres. The Safety Car was deployed for six laps as the debris was removed, and he was finally removed from the car and placed on a stretcher, at which point he gave a "thumbs-up". He was then taken by helicopter to a
BarcelonaBarcelona is the capital, most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,...
area hospital for further tests. His final condition was a minor concussion, whilst also complaining of a sore elbow and neck. Kovalainen apparently did not lose consciousness at any point, according to the people who assisted him at the scene, but he himself had no memory of the accident nor of giving the "thumbs-up". The first thing he remembered was waking up at the hospital and the team doctor telling him what had happened. Kovalainen was released from the hospital two days later and he was able to race in the Turkish Grand Prix in two weeks' time. The cause of the accident was later determined to have been a production error on the wheel rim.
In the
Turkish Grand PrixThe 2008 Turkish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 11, 2008 at the Istanbul Racing Circuit, Istanbul, Turkey. It was the fifth race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team after starting from pole...
, evidence of the effects of different driving styles used by the two McLaren drivers became apparent. Hamilton's more aggressive driving style meant that he had to adopt a three-stop strategy for the race due to concerns over his tyres' durability on the Istanbul Park circuit, while Kovalainen was able to use a two-stop strategy. Kovalainen put his car on the front row of the grid in second place, but suffered a puncture during a fight with Kimi Räikkönen in the first corner and dropped back. He would finish the race in 12th place.
More disappointment was to follow in
MonacoThe 2008 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 25, 2008 at the Circuit de Monaco; contested over 76 laps, it was the sixth race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race was won by the season's eventual Drivers' Champion, Lewis Hamilton, for the McLaren team...
when a software glitch stalled his car on the grid. He was able to start from the pitlane after the mechanics changed his steering wheel, and he made his way up to eighth place, the final point scoring position.
In
MontrealThe 2008 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 8, 2008 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada. It was the 7th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 70 laps, was won by Robert Kubica for the BMW Sauber team after starting from...
it was Kovalainen's turn of the two McLaren drivers to experience difficulties with his tyres. Qualifying seventh, during the race his tyres seemed to degrade much more rapidly than Hamilton's on this circuit, and the team was forced to tell him to take it easy in order to avoid a puncture. He finished ninth, and later described his race as a total catastrophy, suspecting the tyre issues had something to do with his driving style. At the
French Grand PrixThe 2008 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 22, 2008 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France. It was the eighth race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 70 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team after starting from second...
Kovalainen started tenth on the grid, after being docked five places for blocking Mark Webber in qualifying. He finished fourth.
At
SilverstoneThe 2008 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 6, 2008 at the Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, England. It was the 9th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 60 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after starting from fourth...
, Kovalainen achieved his first pole position. He led the race for the first four laps, but on lap five Hamilton overtook him into Stowe Corner. Kovalainen seemed to be losing grip on the wet circuit, and spun his car twice during the race. He finished fifth. After the race Kovalainen reported similar problems with his tyres that had plagued him in Canada; after a few laps the rear tyres were completely degraded and had lost their grip. He again suspected his driving style, combined with the car set-up and low grip conditions.
At the
2008 German Grand PrixThe 2008 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 20, 2008 at the Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, Germany. It was the 10th race of the 2008 Formula One season and was contested over 67 laps. It was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after starting from pole...
Kovalainen finished fifth. In the week leading up to the Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren confirmed that Kovalainen would remain with the team for . He won his first race at
HungaryThe 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 3, 2008 at the Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary. It was the 11th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 70 laps, was won by Heikki Kovalainen for the McLaren team after starting from second...
and became the 100th driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix after race leader
Felipe MassaFelipe Massa is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver. He finished a close second in the 2008 Drivers' World Championship, and is under contract to race for Scuderia Ferrari until the end of the season...
retired due to an engine failure with three laps remaining. After the race Kovalainen commented: "In previous races my driving was too hard on the tyres. For this race we made somewhat radical changes to the set-up, and they were definitely a step in the right direction."
At the
2008 European Grand PrixThe 2008 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 24, 2008 at the Valencia Street Circuit, Valencia, Spain. It was the 12th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 57 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team after starting from pole...
he finished fourth. On September 5 Kovalainen elaborated on the tyre issues for
AutosportAutosport is a weekly magazine covering motorsport, published in the United Kingdom every Thursday by Haymarket Consumer Media. It was first published in 1950 by Gregor Grant, with the first issue published the week of the inaugural Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix at Silverstone...
. The problem seemed to be indeed caused by his different driving style compared to Hamilton, particularly the way he enters corners, uses brakes differently and then accelerates. Hamilton turns the car in a shorter time whereas Kovalainen is trying to make the corners more round, inadvertently causing more wear on the tyres. They had made progress by adapting the car and working on his driving style.
In
BelgiumThe 2008 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 7, 2008, at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps near the town of Spa, Belgium. It was the 13th race of the 2008 Formula One season...
he qualified third, but lost eight places at the start. On lap ten he collided with
Mark WebberMark Alan Webber is an Australian Formula One driver. In 2002 he became the first Australian to race in Formula One since David Brabham in 1994...
and was given a drive-through penalty, which dropped him to fifteenth place. He worked his way back up to seventh again, but on the final lap had to retire due to a gearbox failure, which ultimately left him tenth in the results. At the
2008 Italian Grand PrixThe 2008 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 14, 2008 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy. It was the 14th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 53 laps, was won by Sebastian Vettel for the Toro Rosso team after starting...
he qualified second behind
Sebastian VettelSebastian Vettel is a German race car driver. He drives for Red Bull Racing having replaced former driver David Coulthard....
in the tricky wet conditions. In the race Kovalainen developed brake temperature problems, however, and couldn't quite match the speed of Vettel. He brought the car home in second place, but was disappointed at the lost chance for a win.
At the
2008 Singapore Grand PrixThe 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, formally known as the 2008 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, was a Formula One race held on 28 September 2008 at the newly built Marina Bay Street Circuit in Marina Bay, Singapore...
Kovalainen qualified fifth, having slightly touched the wall in his final run in the third qualifying session. At the start of the race he tried to overtake Kubica for fourth place, but they made contact at Turn 3, causing Kovalainen to lose two places to Glock and Vettel. During a Safety Car session, both McLarens pitted at the same time and Kovalainen had to queue up behind Hamilton, dropping him down the order to 14th. He ultimately finished tenth.
Prior to the Japanese Grand Prix Kovalainen discussed his driving style and the tyre problems in an interview with the Finnish newspaper
Turun SanomatTurun Sanomat is the leading regional newspaper of the region of Finland Proper. It is published in the region's capital, Turku, and is read daily by about 280 000 people, or 70% of the inhabitants, in the city and its surrounding municipalities, making it the third most widely read morning...
, feeling they had now solved the issues. He explained his driving style was now very close to Hamilton's, as well as his car set-up. Hamilton's aggressive driving style seemed to work the best with the McLaren MP4-23, allowing the tyres to last longer. Hamilton hits the brakes harder and turns the car more quickly into the corner, while Kovalainen's softer driving style would be to drive with a longer curve into the corner, going easier on the brakes and accelerating halfway through the corner. Since the McLaren was harder on the tyres than Renault and the Bridgestones weren't quite as robust as the Michelins, that driving style now led to excessive tyre degradation.
In
JapanThe 2008 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 12, 2008 at the Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Japan. It was the 16th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 67 laps, was won by Fernando Alonso for the Renault team from fourth position on the starting grid...
Kovalainen qualified third behind Hamilton and Räikkönen. During the initial tussle between Hamilton and Räikkönen, Kovalainen was pushed off the track along with several other cars. Kovalainen was running in third when on lap 17 his car suffered an engine failure.
At the
Chinese Grand PrixThe 2008 Chinese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 19, 2008 at the Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China. It was the 17th and penultimate race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 56 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after...
, although leading the timesheets in the initial part of the third qualifying session, he eventually managed fifth position on the grid. In the race, tyre problems came to haunt him once again. His first set of front tyres had been marked incorrectly, so the left tyre was installed on the right-hand side of the car and vice versa, meaning the tyres were spinning in the wrong direction, causing understeer. He reported the understeer on the radio, and during his first pit stop the mechanics tried to improve the situation by raising the front-wing angle. Now that he also had correctly marked tyres, however, meant that the front-wing was now causing oversteer and making the front of the car heavier. This possibly caused the puncture to his front right tyre on lap 35, forcing him to pit and drop down to 17th, before he finally retired on lap 49 due to a hydraulics problem.
Going into the
2008 Brazilian Grand PrixThe 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on November 2, 2008, at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, Interlagos, in São Paulo, Brazil. It was the 18th and final race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 71 laps, was won by Ferrari driver Felipe Massa...
, Kovalainen posted the fastest lap of the weekend in the second qualifying session, but in the end Hamilton and Kovalainen were left fourth and fifth on the grid, leading many to believe they were fuelled heavier than the other frontrunners. Kovalainen eventually finished seventh.
2009
At the start of the season McLaren were struggling for pace. Both Kovalainen and Hamilton failed to get into the top ten in qualifying for the first two races.
In the
Australian Grand PrixThe 2009 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 29, 2009 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia. It was the first race of the 2009 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Jenson Button for the Brawn GP team after...
Kovalainen retired due to a collision with
Mark WebberMark Alan Webber is an Australian Formula One driver. In 2002 he became the first Australian to race in Formula One since David Brabham in 1994...
in the first corner and in
MalaysiaThe 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on April 5, 2009 at the Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia. It was the second race of the 2009 Formula One season. The race was due to be contested over 56 laps, but due to torrential rain, the race was stopped after...
he spun off on the first lap while fighting for position with Hamilton and Massa. In
ChinaThe 2009 Chinese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on April 19, 2009 at the Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It was the third race of the 2009 Formula One season, a change from previous years, when it took place towards the end of the season.Sebastian...
he scored his first points of the season by finishing fifth.
Return to Renault
Kovalainen will be leaving McLaren at the end of 2009 and expected to return to Renault to partner
Robert KubicaRobert Kubica is the first Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. From 2006 he has driven for the BMW Sauber F1 team, promoted from test driver to race driver during 2006. In June 2008, Kubica took his maiden F1 victory in the chaotic Canadian Grand Prix, becoming the 99th driver to win a...
. He is battling against Toyota's
Timo GlockTimo Glock is a German motor racing driver. At the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix, standing in for Giorgio Pantano who had a contract dispute with Jordan Grand Prix, he joined a select group of drivers who have scored a World Championship point in their first Formula One race...
and Renault drivers
Romain GrosjeanRomain Grosjean is a Formula One racing driver, who holds dual nationality from France and Switzerland, but competes under a French racing licence...
and
Lucas Di GrassiLucas Tucci Di Grassi is a racing driver, whose career has revolved around karting and single seater formula racing...
.
Personal life
Kovalainen has a British girlfriend Catherine Hyde who studies
sport psychologySport psychology is the scientific study of people and their behaviors in sport contexts and the practical application of that knowledge. Sport psychologists identify principles and guidelines that professionals can use to help adults and children participate in and benefit from sport and exercise...
. They have decided to get married on October 10, 2010.
Career summary
| Season |
Series |
Team Name |
Races |
Poles |
Wins |
Points |
Final Placing |
| 1999 |
World Championship Formula A |
Tony Kart/Vortex/BS |
|
|
|
n/a |
17th |
| Finnish Championship Formula A |
|
|
|
|
n/a |
2nd |
| 2000 |
World Championship Formula Super A |
Tony Kart/Vortex/BS |
|
|
|
n/a |
3rd |
| European Championship Formula Super A |
|
|
|
|
39 |
4th |
| Nordic Championship Formula A |
|
|
|
|
n/a |
1st |
| Finnish Championship Formula A |
|
|
|
|
n/a |
2nd |
| Paris-Bercy Elf Masters |
|
|
|
|
n/a |
1st |
| 2001 |
British Formula RenaultThe United Kingdom has two Formula Renault championships: Renault Sport UK's Formula Renault UK championship and the British Automobile Racing Club's BARC Formula Renault championship...
|
Fortec MotorsportFortec Motorsport, or Fortec Motorsport Ltd. is a motor-racing team, that races in Formula Three, Formula Renault and most recently Formula BMW...
|
13 |
2 |
2 |
243 |
4th |
Formula ThreeFormula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
Macau Grand PrixThe Macau Grand Prix is a motor-racing event held annually in November in the streets of Macau. It is known for being the only street circuit racing event in which both car and motorcycle races are held...
|
Fortec MotorsportFortec Motorsport, or Fortec Motorsport Ltd. is a motor-racing team, that races in Formula Three, Formula Renault and most recently Formula BMW...
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
n/a |
8th |
| 2002 |
British Formula ThreeThe British Formula Three Championship is a national motor racing championship that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...
|
Fortec MotorsportFortec Motorsport, or Fortec Motorsport Ltd. is a motor-racing team, that races in Formula Three, Formula Renault and most recently Formula BMW...
|
26 |
2 |
5 |
257 |
3rd |
Formula ThreeFormula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
Macau Grand PrixThe Macau Grand Prix is a motor-racing event held annually in November in the streets of Macau. It is known for being the only street circuit racing event in which both car and motorcycle races are held...
|
Fortec MotorsportFortec Motorsport, or Fortec Motorsport Ltd. is a motor-racing team, that races in Formula Three, Formula Renault and most recently Formula BMW...
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
n/a |
2nd |
| 2003 |
World Series by Nissan The 2003 Telefónica World Series by Nissan season was contested over 9 race weekends/18 rounds. In this one-make formula all drivers had to utilize Dallara chassis and Nissan engines...
|
Gabord Competicion |
18 |
3 |
1 |
134 |
2nd |
| 2004 |
World Series by Nissan The 2004 World Series by Nissan season was contested over 9 race weekends/18 rounds. In this one-make formula all drivers had to utilize Dallara chassis and Nissan engines...
|
Pons Racing |
18 |
10 |
6 |
176 |
1st |
| 2005 |
GP2 Series The 2005 GP2 Series season started in Imola, San Marino on April 23, and ended in Manama, Bahrain on September 30. The season was won by the German Nico Rosberg, with the Finn Heikki Kovalainen finishing second....
|
Arden International Arden International is an international Formula 3000/GP2 Series team, created by Christian Horner.Initially created to raise up Horner's career, and then reliant on sponsorship from Viktor Maslov, the team began to get good results and was the best team of Formula 3000 in its last years, showing...
|
23 |
2 |
5 |
105 |
2nd |
| 2006 |
Formula One The 2006 Formula One season was the 57th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It began on March 12, and ended on October 22, after eighteen rounds. The Drivers' Championship was won by Fernando Alonso of Renault F1 for the second year in a row, with Alonso becoming the youngest ever double...
|
Mild Seven Renault F1 Team Renault F1 is the Renault company's Formula One racing team. Renault has a long though intermittent history of involvement in motor racing, including Ferenc Szisz winning the first French Grand Prix, usually regarded as marking the birth of Grand Prix motor racing...
|
Test driver |
| 2007 |
Formula One The 2007 Formula One season was the 58th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It began on 18 March and ended on 21 October after seventeen Grands Prix. The Drivers' Championship was won by Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen by one point at the final race of the season, making Räikkönen the third...
|
ING Renault F1 Team Renault F1 is the Renault company's Formula One racing team. Renault has a long though intermittent history of involvement in motor racing, including Ferenc Szisz winning the first French Grand Prix, usually regarded as marking the birth of Grand Prix motor racing...
|
17 |
0 |
0 |
30 |
7th |
| 2008 |
Formula One The 2008 Formula One season was the 59th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It began on 16 March and ended on 2 November with eighteen Grand Prix races....
|
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes |
18 |
1 |
1 |
53 |
7th |
| 2009 |
Formula One The 2009 Formula One season is the 60th FIA Formula One World Championship season. There are ten teams signed up to compete in the championship.Jenson Button and Brawn GP secured the driver and constructor titles respectively with one race to spare....
|
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes |
16 |
0 |
0 |
22 |
12th* |
*Season in progress.
Complete GP2 Series results
(key) (Races in
bold indicate pole position) (Races in
italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year |
Entrant |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
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23 |
DC |
Points |
| 2005 The 2005 GP2 Series season started in Imola, San Marino on April 23, and ended in Manama, Bahrain on September 30. The season was won by the German Nico Rosberg, with the Finn Heikki Kovalainen finishing second....
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Arden International Arden International is an international Formula 3000/GP2 Series team, created by Christian Horner.Initially created to raise up Horner's career, and then reliant on sponsorship from Viktor Maslov, the team began to get good results and was the best team of Formula 3000 in its last years, showing...
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SMR
FEAThe Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello.The circuit is named after Ferrari's late founder Enzo and his son Dino who had died in the 1950s...
1 |
SMR
SPRThe Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello.The circuit is named after Ferrari's late founder Enzo and his son Dino who had died in the 1950s...
3 |
ESP
FEAThe Circuit de Catalunya aka Circuit de Barcelona is a racetrack in Montmeló, to the north of Barcelona, Catalonia. It is home to the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix and the motorcycle Catalonia Grand Prix. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Catalunya is seen as an...
3 |
ESP
SPRThe Circuit de Catalunya aka Circuit de Barcelona is a racetrack in Montmeló, to the north of Barcelona, Catalonia. It is home to the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix and the motorcycle Catalonia Grand Prix. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Catalunya is seen as an...
Ret |
MON
FEACircuit de Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the principality of Monaco. It is commonly referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside the Monte Carlo neighbourhood of Monaco.The circuit is used on one weekend in...
5 |
EUR
FEAThe Nürburgring, simply known as "The Ring" by enthusiasts, is a motorsport race track in Nürburg, Germany. It was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel, which is about south of Cologne, and northwest of Frankfurt...
1 |
EUR
SPRThe Nürburgring, simply known as "The Ring" by enthusiasts, is a motorsport race track in Nürburg, Germany. It was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel, which is about south of Cologne, and northwest of Frankfurt...
Ret |
FRA
FEACircuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers. It is most famous for staging the Formula One French Grand Prix, which has been held here between 1991 and 2008...
1 |
FRA
SPRCircuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers. It is most famous for staging the Formula One French Grand Prix, which has been held here between 1991 and 2008...
3 |
GBR
FEAThe Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, England, named after the village in the former. It is best known as the home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted in 1948 and which has been held on the circuit every year since 1987...
2 |
GBR
SPRThe Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, England, named after the village in the former. It is best known as the home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted in 1948 and which has been held on the circuit every year since 1987...
3 |
GER
FEAThe Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Amongst other motor racing events, it holds the annual Formula One German Grand Prix...
5 |
GER
SPRThe Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Amongst other motor racing events, it holds the annual Formula One German Grand Prix...
6 |
HUN
FEAThe Hungaroring is a Formula One racing circuit in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary where the Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain. Bernie Ecclestone wanted a race in the USSR, but a Hungarian friend of his...
2 |
HUN
SPRThe Hungaroring is a Formula One racing circuit in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary where the Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain. Bernie Ecclestone wanted a race in the USSR, but a Hungarian friend of his...
5 |
TUR
FEAIstanbul Park , also known as the Istanbul Racing Circuit or initially Istanbul Otodrom, is a motor sports race track in Akfırat County east of Istanbul, Turkey...
10 |
TUR
SPRIstanbul Park , also known as the Istanbul Racing Circuit or initially Istanbul Otodrom, is a motor sports race track in Akfırat County east of Istanbul, Turkey...
1 |
ITA
FEAAutodromo Nazionale Monza is a motorsport race track near the town of Monza, Italy, north of Milan. It is one of the most historic motor racing circuits in the world.-Overview:...
1 |
ITA
SPRAutodromo Nazionale Monza is a motorsport race track near the town of Monza, Italy, north of Milan. It is one of the most historic motor racing circuits in the world.-Overview:...
5 |
BEL
FEAThe Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is considered to be one of the most challenging race tracks in the world,...
15 |
BEL
SPRThe Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is considered to be one of the most challenging race tracks in the world,...
9 |
BHR
FEAThe Bahrain International Circuit is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 and an annual Formula One Grand Prix. The 2004 Grand Prix was the first held in the Middle East. Since 2006, Australian V8 Supercar has been raced at the BIC and the V8 races are named as the...
3 |
BHR
SPRThe Bahrain International Circuit is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 and an annual Formula One Grand Prix. The 2004 Grand Prix was the first held in the Middle East. Since 2006, Australian V8 Supercar has been raced at the BIC and the V8 races are named as the...
Ret |
2nd |
105 |
Complete Formula One results
(key) (Races in
bold indicate pole position) (Races in
italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year |
Entrant |
Chassis |
Engine |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
WDC |
Points |
| 2007 The 2007 Formula One season was the 58th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It began on 18 March and ended on 21 October after seventeen Grands Prix. The Drivers' Championship was won by Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen by one point at the final race of the season, making Räikkönen the third...
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INGING Group N.V. is a financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management services. ING is an abbreviation of ' ....
Renault F1 TeamRenault F1 is the Renault company's Formula One racing team. Renault has a long though intermittent history of involvement in motor racing, including Ferenc Szisz winning the first French Grand Prix, usually regarded as marking the birth of Grand Prix motor racing...
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Renault Renault F1 is the Renault company's Formula One racing team. Renault has a long though intermittent history of involvement in motor racing, including Ferenc Szisz winning the first French Grand Prix, usually regarded as marking the birth of Grand Prix motor racing...
R27The Renault R27 is a Formula One racing car, used in the 2007 Formula One season.It made its first public outing on the 16th January 2007 at Jerez circuit after completing a short first test at Silverstone the week before.-Aerodynamics:...
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Renault Renault F1 is the Renault company's Formula One racing team. Renault has a long though intermittent history of involvement in motor racing, including Ferenc Szisz winning the first French Grand Prix, usually regarded as marking the birth of Grand Prix motor racing...
RS27 2.4 V8A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
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AUSThe 2007 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 18, 2007 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia. It was the first race of the 2007 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team after...
10 |
MALThe IX Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race, held on 8 April, 2007 at the Sepang International Circuit and the second race of the 2007 Formula One season. Reigning world champion Fernando Alonso won the race from second on the grid, with McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton...
8 |
BHRThe 2007 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix is a Formula One motor race and is the third round of the 2007 Formula One season. It took place on the weekend of the 13-15 April at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain....
9 |
ESPThe 2007 Gran Premio de España Telefónica was a Formula One motor race, fourth round of the 2007 Formula One season, won by Felipe Massa. It was held on the weekend of 11-13 May at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain.-Background:...
7 |
MONThe 2007 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race and was the fifth round of the 2007 Formula One season. It took place from 24-27 May at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo. The race itself commenced at 14:00 CET , Sunday, May 27, and lasted about 1 hour and 40 minutes...
13 |
CANThe 2007 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 10 June, 2007, at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. It was the sixth race of the 2007 Formula One season...
4 |
USAThe 2007 United States Grand Prix was the seventh race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was also the last Formula 1 race held in the United States. It was held on 15–17 June at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway...
5 |
FRAThe 2007 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 1, 2007 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours, France. It was the 8th race of the 2007 Formula One season. The race, contested over 70 laps, was won by Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team after starting from...
15 |
GBRThe 2007 British Grand Prix was the ninth race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held from 6 to July 8 at the Silverstone Circuit. The race was won by Kimi Räikkönen after overtaking pole position driver Lewis Hamilton during the first round of pit stops...
7 |
EURThe 2007 European Grand Prix was the tenth race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held from 20 to July 22 at the Nürburgring.On August 29 2006 it was announced that the European Grand Prix had been removed from the F1 calendar for the 2007 season. From then there will only be one GP hosted in...
8 |
HUNThe 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix was the eleventh race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held from 3 to August 5 at the Hungaroring in Budapest...
8 |
TURThe 2007 Turkish Grand Prix was the twelfth race of the 2007 Formula One season. Won by Felipe Massa, it was held from 24 to August 26 at the Istanbul Park in Istanbul. It was the third time a Formula One race had been held here...
6 |
ITAThe 2007 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held from 7 to 9 September 2007 at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy. It was the thirteenth race of the 2007 Formula One season....
7 |
BELThe 2007 Belgian Grand Prix was the fourteenth race of the 2007 Formula One season, returning to the F1 calendar after a year's absence. It was held on 16 September at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa, Belgium....
8 |
JPNThe 2007 Japanese Grand Prix was the fifteenth race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held on 30 September at the recently revised Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Shizuoka, in very heavy rain and misty conditions. For 20 years the Japanese Grand Prix was held at Suzuka, but in 2007 it returned to Fuji...
2 |
CHNThe 2007 Chinese Grand Prix was the sixteenth race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held on 5–7 October at Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China. The race was won by Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen with Fernando Alonso finishing second and Felipe Massa finishing third...
9 |
BRAThe 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix was the seventeenth and last race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held from 19 to October 21 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo. The Championship was decided in the race, which was won by Kimi Räikkönen...
Ret |
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7th |
30 |
| 2008 The 2008 Formula One season was the 59th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It began on 16 March and ended on 2 November with eighteen Grand Prix races....
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Vodafone Vodafone is a British mobile network operator, with its headquarters in Newbury, Berkshire, England, UK. It is the largest mobile telecommunications network company in the world by turnover, and has a market value of about £75 billion...
McLaren Mercedes |
McLaren MP4-23 The McLaren MP4-23 was Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes' Formula One car for the 2008 Formula One season. It was revealed at Mercedes-Benz's motor sport museum in Stuttgart on 7 January 2008, and it had its first on-track appearance at Jerez in Spain on 9 January....
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Mercedes FO 108V 2.4 V8A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
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AUSThe 2008 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 16 March 2008 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia. It was the first race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after...
5 |
MALThe 2008 Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 23, 2008 at the Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Malaysia. It was the 2nd race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 56 laps, was won by Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team after starting...
3 |
BHRThe 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on April 6, 2008 at the Bahrain International Circuit, in Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the third race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 57 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team...
5 |
ESPThe 2008 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on April 27, 2008 at the Circuit de Catalunya, Spain. It was the fourth race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 66 laps, was won by Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team after starting from pole position...
Ret |
TURThe 2008 Turkish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 11, 2008 at the Istanbul Racing Circuit, Istanbul, Turkey. It was the fifth race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team after starting from pole...
12 |
MONThe 2008 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 25, 2008 at the Circuit de Monaco; contested over 76 laps, it was the sixth race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race was won by the season's eventual Drivers' Champion, Lewis Hamilton, for the McLaren team...
8 |
CANThe 2008 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 8, 2008 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada. It was the 7th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 70 laps, was won by Robert Kubica for the BMW Sauber team after starting from...
9 |
FRAThe 2008 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 22, 2008 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France. It was the eighth race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 70 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team after starting from second...
4 |
GBRThe 2008 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 6, 2008 at the Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, England. It was the 9th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 60 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after starting from fourth...
5 |
GERThe 2008 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 20, 2008 at the Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, Germany. It was the 10th race of the 2008 Formula One season and was contested over 67 laps. It was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after starting from pole...
5 |
HUNThe 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 3, 2008 at the Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary. It was the 11th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 70 laps, was won by Heikki Kovalainen for the McLaren team after starting from second...
1 |
EURThe 2008 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 24, 2008 at the Valencia Street Circuit, Valencia, Spain. It was the 12th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 57 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team after starting from pole...
4 |
BELThe 2008 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 7, 2008, at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps near the town of Spa, Belgium. It was the 13th race of the 2008 Formula One season...
10 |
ITAThe 2008 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 14, 2008 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy. It was the 14th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 53 laps, was won by Sebastian Vettel for the Toro Rosso team after starting...
2 |
SINThe 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, formally known as the 2008 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, was a Formula One race held on 28 September 2008 at the newly built Marina Bay Street Circuit in Marina Bay, Singapore...
10 |
JPNThe 2008 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 12, 2008 at the Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Japan. It was the 16th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 67 laps, was won by Fernando Alonso for the Renault team from fourth position on the starting grid...
Ret |
CHNThe 2008 Chinese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 19, 2008 at the Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China. It was the 17th and penultimate race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 56 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after...
Ret |
BRAThe 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on November 2, 2008, at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, Interlagos, in São Paulo, Brazil. It was the 18th and final race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 71 laps, was won by Ferrari driver Felipe Massa...
7 |
7th |
53 |
| 2009 The 2009 Formula One season is the 60th FIA Formula One World Championship season. There are ten teams signed up to compete in the championship.Jenson Button and Brawn GP secured the driver and constructor titles respectively with one race to spare....
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Vodafone Vodafone is a British mobile network operator, with its headquarters in Newbury, Berkshire, England, UK. It is the largest mobile telecommunications network company in the world by turnover, and has a market value of about £75 billion...
McLaren Mercedes |
McLaren MP4-24The McLaren MP4-24 is McLaren-Mercedes' Formula One car for the 2009 Formula One season. It was revealed at McLaren's headquarters in Woking, United Kingdom on January 16 2009....
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Mercedes FO 108W 2.4 V8A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
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AUSThe 2009 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 29, 2009 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia. It was the first race of the 2009 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Jenson Button for the Brawn GP team after...
Ret |
MALThe 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on April 5, 2009 at the Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia. It was the second race of the 2009 Formula One season. The race was due to be contested over 56 laps, but due to torrential rain, the race was stopped after...
Ret |
CHNThe 2009 Chinese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on April 19, 2009 at the Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It was the third race of the 2009 Formula One season, a change from previous years, when it took place towards the end of the season.Sebastian...
5 |
BHRThe 2009 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on April 26, 2009, at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the sixth Bahrain Grand Prix and fourth race of the 2009 Formula One season....
12 |
ESPThe 2009 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 10, 2009 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain. It was the fifth race of the 2009 Formula One season....
Ret |
MONThe 2009 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race and the sixth round of the 2009 Formula One season. It was won by Brawn GP driver Jenson Button, with his team-mate Rubens Barrichello second, and Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen third....
Ret |
TURThe 2009 Turkish Grand Prix was the seventh race of the 2009 Formula One season. It was held on June 7, 2009 at Istanbul Park, Istanbul, Turkey.Felipe Massa won the 2008 Turkish Grand Prix for Ferrari, in addition to his wins at Istanbul Park in 2006 and 2007...
14 |
GBRThe 2009 Santander British Grand Prix was the eighth race of the 2009 Formula One season. It was held on 21 June 2009 at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, England. This is scheduled to be the last British Grand Prix to be held at Silverstone, before the event moves to Donington Park for the...
Ret |
GERThe 2009 German Grand Prix was the ninth race of the 2009 Formula One season. It was held on July 12, 2009 at the Nürburgring in Nürburg, Germany....
8 |
HUNThe 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 26, 2009 at the Hungaroring in Mogyoród, north of Budapest, Hungary. It was the tenth race of the 2009 Formula One season. The race, contested over 70 laps, was won by world champion Lewis Hamilton for...
5 |
EURThe 2009 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race, held on August 23rd, 2009 at the Valencia Street Circuit in Valencia, Spain. It was the 11th race of the 2009 Formula One season. The race was contested over 57 laps, an overall race distance of 303.9 km...
4 |
BELThe 2009 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race, held on August 30, 2009 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps near the town of Spa, Belgium. It was the 12th race of the 2009 Formula One season. The race was contested over 44 laps, with an overall race distance of 308.2 km...
6 |
ITAThe 2009 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 13, 2009 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy. It was the 13th race of the 2009 Formula One season. It was contested over 53 laps.The race was won by Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello...
6 |
SINThe 2009 Singapore Grand Prix was the fourteenth race of the 2009 Formula One season. It was the second Singapore Grand Prix to be part of a Formula One Championship and the tenth Singapore Grand Prix overall. It was also the second Formula One race to be held at night...
7 |
JPNThe 2009 Japanese Grand Prix was the fifteenth round of the 2009 Formula One Season...
11 |
BRAThe 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race which was held on October 18, 2009 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo, Brazil. It was the sixteenth race of the 2009 Formula One season...
12 |
ABUThe 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be the seventeenth and last race of the 2009 Formula One season. It will take place on November 1, 2009 at the 3.45-mile Hermann Tilke-designed Yas Marina Circuit...
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12th* |
22* |
*Season in progress.
External links