Heikki Kovalainen
Nationality	Finnish
Car #	23
Current team	Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
Formula One World Championship career
Races	24
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podium finishes	2
Pole positions	0
Career points	45
Fastest laps	2
First race	2007 Australian Grand Prix
Latest race	2008 Canadian Grand Prix
2007 position	7th (30 pts)

Heikki Kovalainen (born October 19, 1981 in Suomussalmi, Finland) is a racing driver. The FIA Super Licence is a qualification allowing the Licence holder to take part in Formula One Grands Prix as a driver Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937&ndash1970 is a Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, UK The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA) to the most successful Formula One The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole In motorsport, the fastest lap is the quickest lap run during a race The 2007 ING Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 18 2007 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. The 2008 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 8 June, 2008 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montréal Canada Pre-season testing Pre-season testing began in November 2006 at the Circuit de Catalunya, with ten of the eleven teams participating in the test sessions Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Driving is the controlled operation of a land Vehicle, usually a Motor vehicle such as a Truck or a car. He began his Formula One career in the 2006 championship winning Renault team in 2007. 1970s and 1980s 1977 Renault first involvement in Formula One was made by the Renault Sport subsidiary On 14 December 2007, it was announced he would be the second driver for the McLaren team for the 2008 season, as teammate to young Briton Lewis Hamilton. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937&ndash1970 is a Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, UK Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born Stevenage, 7 January 1985 ^[1]

Karting career

Kovalainen's career began in karting, much like that of many other F1 racers. For other meanings see Kart (disambiguation Kart racing or karting is a variant of Open-wheel Motor sport with His karting career lasted from 1991 to 2000, during which time he finished runner-up in Finnish Formula A in 1999. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Then in 2000 he became Nordic champion and won the Elf Masters. The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, He was also elected Finnish Driver of The Year.

Pre-F1 racing career

Formula Renault

Kovalainen began his car racing career in the British Formula Renault championship, which fellow Finn Kimi Räikkönen had won the previous year before moving straight into Formula 1 with Sauber. Formula Renault is a class of Formula racing founded in 1971 It is popular in Europe and other countries Kimi-Matias Räikkönen (ˈkimi ˈmɑtiɑs ˈræikkønen born October 17, 1979 in Espoo) is a Finnish Formula One race car driver currently Sauber is a Swiss constructor of racing cars for Sportscar racing and Formula One. Kovalainen's apprenticeship in the junior categories of motor sport was more conventional, but was remarkable in that he used Renault power at every step along the way. ^[2]

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

Formula 3

Kovalainen attracted the support of the Renault Driver Development programme and in 2002 moved up to the British F3 series with Fortec Motorsport who used Renault engines. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The 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 Fortec Motorsport, or Fortec Motorsport Ltd is a motor-racing team that races in Formula Three, Formula Renault and most recently Formula BMW. He became one of the most competitive drivers on the grid by the second half of the season and all five of his wins came in the final nine races. With three pole positions, three fastest laps and third overall in the championship behind Robbie Kerr and James Courtney^[2] he was again Rookie of the Year. Robert "Robbie" Kerr (born September 26, 1979 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) is an British Race car driver James Courtney (born 29 June, 1980 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian Racing driver who competes in the

He also demonstrated strong form in the international F3 rounds, with second place at the Macau Grand Prix and fourth place at the Zandvoort Marlboro Masters. Zandvoort ( is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The RTL GP Masters of Formula 3 is a Formula 3 race held annually usually at the Circuit Zandvoort in The Netherlands.

World Series by Nissan

Kovalainen moved into the Renault-owned World Series by Nissan in 2003 - but faced a tough team mate at the Gabord team in Franck Montagny. Renault_World_Series_Donington_2007jpg|left|thumb|World Series by Renault at Donington Park in 2007 Early career Montagny was born in Feurs, France and started racing karts there in 1988 winning the cadet class in the French Karting Championship in 1992 and Montagny had already spent two seasons in the World Series by Nissan and won the title in 2001. ^[2] Montagny won the title with nine wins to Kovalainen's one.

The Finn stayed in World Series by Nissan for 2004 but moved to the Pons team and won the championship ahead of Tiago Monteiro, with 192 points and six wins. Tiago Vagaroso da Costa Monteiro (tiˈagu mõˈtɐiɾu born 24 July, 1976 in Porto, Portugal) is a Racing driver who drove for ^[2]

Race of Champions

Kovalainen and Michael Schumacher at the 2007 Race of Champions. Michael Schumacher (German pronunciation;) (born January 3, 1969, in Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany) is a former Formula The 2007 Race of Champions took place on December 16 at the Wembley Stadium.

Kovalainen competed in the 2004 Race of Champions at the Stade de France in Paris. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Race of Champions is an international Motorsport event held at the end of each year featuring some of the world's best racing and Rally drivers The Stade de France is a Stadium in Saint-Denis, France in the inner suburbs of Paris. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city He became the first non-rally driver to win the Henri Toivonen Memorial Trophy and earn the title "Champion of Champions", beating World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb in the finals. Henri Toivonen ( August 25, 1956 &ndash May 2, 1986) was a Finnish rally driver born in Jyväskylä, the home The Race of Champions is an international Motorsport event held at the end of each year featuring some of the world's best racing and Rally drivers History Early The World Rally Championship was formed from well-known international rallies nine of which were previously part of the International Championship Career Early career Loeb was born in Haguenau, Alsace, and grew up in Oberhoffen-sur-Moder. He also participated in the Nations' Cup alongside countryman Marcus Grönholm. Marcus "Bosse" Grönholm (born February 5 1968 in Kauniainen) is a former Finnish rally driver Their team finished in second place after Kovalainen's Ferrari 360 Modena broke down in the finals, ironically, losing to Loeb and the French team. Road models The first model of the 360 to ship was the 360 Modena, named after the town of Modena, the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari. Kovalainen's feat included winning over Loeb in a WRC car, although he had never even sat in a rally car before, and over the Ferrari Formula One star Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari 360 Modena. Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing Michael Schumacher (German pronunciation;) (born January 3, 1969, in Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany) is a former Formula

Results

Round	Opponent	Car	Time	Difference	Result
1	David Coulthard	Race of Champions Buggy	1:45. David Marshall Coulthard, often called DC, (born 27 March 1971 in Twynholm, Kirkcudbrightshire) is a British Formula One racing driver A dune buggy is a recreational Vehicle with large Wheels and wide Tires designed for use on sand Dunes or Beaches The design 8988	-11. 905	1 - 0
2	Jean Alesi	Ferrari 360 Modena	1:48. Jean Alesi (born Giovanni Alesi June 11, 1964) is a French racing driver of Italian origins Road models The first model of the 360 to ship was the 360 Modena, named after the town of Modena, the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari. 9325	-1. 7085	1 - 0
Semi-Finals	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari 360 Modena	1:45. Michael Schumacher (German pronunciation;) (born January 3, 1969, in Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany) is a former Formula Road models The first model of the 360 to ship was the 360 Modena, named after the town of Modena, the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari. 3851	-10. 9954	1 - 0
Final	Sébastien Loeb	Peugeot 307 WRC	1:42. Career Early career Loeb was born in Haguenau, Alsace, and grew up in Oberhoffen-sur-Moder. The Peugeot 307 is a Family car produced by the French Peugeot manufacturer since 2001 2602	-0. 7977	1 - 0
	Sébastien Loeb	Ferrari 360 Modena	1:47. Career Early career Loeb was born in Haguenau, Alsace, and grew up in Oberhoffen-sur-Moder. Road models The first model of the 360 to ship was the 360 Modena, named after the town of Modena, the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari. 4383	-8. 1459	2 - 0

He returned to the Race of Champions in 2005, but was knocked out in the semi-finals by Tom Kristensen. The Race of Champions is an international Motorsport event held at the end of each year featuring some of the world's best racing and Rally drivers Tom Kristensen (born July 7 1967 in Hobro) is a Danish racing driver. ^[2]

Heikki made another impact in the Race of Champions in 2006, winning the Nations Cup together with his fellow Finnish driver Marcus Grönholm; despite this, he was again eliminated in the semi-finals by Mattias Ekström by a mere 0. The Race of Champions is an international Motorsport event held at the end of each year featuring some of the world's best racing and Rally drivers Marcus "Bosse" Grönholm (born February 5 1968 in Kauniainen) is a former Finnish rally driver Mattias Ekström (born July 14, 1978 in Falun, Sweden) is a racing driver from Sweden. 0002 seconds.

In 2007, Heikki was strong again. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. He and his partner, Marcus Gronholm, carried Finland to the final of the nations cup,where the strong German pairing of Michael Schumacher and Sebastien Vettel beat them. Marcus "Bosse" Grönholm (born February 5 1968 in Kauniainen) is a former Finnish rally driver Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Michael Schumacher (German pronunciation;) (born January 3, 1969, in Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany) is a former Formula Sebastian Vettel (born July 3 1987 in Heppenheim) is a German race car driver Heikki beat Vettel in the individual race, before crashing right on the line in the next round. He crossed the line out of control, and Andy Priaulx pipped him. Andrew Graham Priaulx, MBE (born Guernsey, 8 August 1974) is a racing driver European Touring Car Championship champion Kovalainen probably would have won had he not crashed.

GP2 Series

In 2005, Kovalainen entered the GP2 Series, the new 'feeder' series for F1 and the successor to Formula 3000. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the article about the Asian version of the GP2 series see GP2 Asia Series. Kovalainen won the first ever round of the new championship and led the championship with the Arden International team. Arden International is an international Formula 3000 / GP2 Series team created by Christian Horner. ^[2] But in the final four rounds a resurgent Nico Rosberg took over the lead of the championship and Kovalainen finished second, 15 points adrift. Nico Rosberg (born June 27, 1985) is a Racing driver for the Williams Formula One team ^[2]

Formula One

Testing

Kovalainen testing for Renault F1 in 2006, at Valencia

Kovalainen, Franck Montagny and José María López tested the Renault R23B F1 car at Barcelona in December 2003. 1970s and 1980s 1977 Renault first involvement in Formula One was made by the Renault Sport subsidiary The Circuit de Valencia (officially named " Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo " is a Motorsport Race track located in Cheste Early career Montagny was born in Feurs, France and started racing karts there in 1988 winning the cadet class in the French Karting Championship in 1992 and José María López (born April 26 1983 in Río Tercero, Argentina) is a Race car driver. Kovalainen also tested for Minardi, but Renault made him second test driver alongside Montagny. Minardi was an Automobile racing team and constructor founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. ^[2]

Kovalainen was promoted in Montagny's place at the end of 2005 and spent the 2006 season in a full-time testing role, logging over 23,000 km of testing. "F1 2005" redirects here For the video games based on the 2005 Formula One season see F1 05 & F1 Grand Prix. "F1 2006" redirects here For the video games based on the 2006 Formula One season see F1 06 & F1 CE.

Renault's lead driver Fernando Alonso had signed for McLaren for the 2007 season, and Renault elected to promote Kovalainen in his place, which they confirmed on September 6, 2006. Fernando Alonso Díaz (born July 29, 1981 in Oviedo, Spain) is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937&ndash1970 is a Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, UK Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started ^[3] Team boss Flavio Briatore said: "With Kovalainen, I hope to find the anti-Alonso. Flavio Briatore (born April 12, 1950) is an Italian businessman " ^[4]

Renault

Kovalainen at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix, leading Nico Rosberg. The 2007 ING Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 18 2007 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. Nico Rosberg (born June 27, 1985) is a Racing driver for the Williams Formula One team

Kovalainen made his race debut in at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix. The 2007 ING Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 18 2007 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. His performance was a huge disappointment; he made several mistakes during the race and finished 10th. Flavio Briatore told the press after the race that it was a disappointing debut for the young Finn. Flavio Briatore (born April 12, 1950) is an Italian businessman He said that hopefully the real Heikki will show up next time.

Kovalainen scored his first World Championship point in his second Grand Prix at Sepang, Malaysia, and followed this with a disappointing race in Bahrain. Sepang is a town and district located in the southern part of the state of Selangor in Malaysia. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and The 2007 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix is a Formula One motor race and is the third round of the 2007 Formula One season. He then secured seventh place in Barcelona, outperforming team mate Giancarlo Fisichella. Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Giancarlo Fisichella (born January 14, 1973 in Rome, Italy) also known as Fisico or Fisi, is an Italian racing He was well down the order in Monte Carlo and never looked like a points finish was a possibility. Monte-Carlo ( Occitan: Montcarles, Monégasque: Monte-Carlu) is one of Monaco 's various administrative areas sometimes erroneously However, he came back strongly and finished in the points again in both North American races.

During the Canadian GP, he made mistakes throughout practise, including one at the exit of turn 7, and hit the barrier, which was reminiscent of Jacques Villeneuve. The 2007 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 10 June, 2007, at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal Canada Personal and early life Jacques Villeneuve was born in the Canadian city of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to then soon to be Formula One driver Gilles He crashed at the first chicane in qualifying, and damaged his rear wing significantly, and failed to make it through to the second session. He made progress early on, and then halted. He seemed to have a lot of luck with the strategy, and every time the safety car came out it was beneficial to him. In Motorsport, a safety car or pace car is a car which limits the speed of competing cars on a racetrack in the case of a caution period such A podium was within his grasp, but he could not find a way past Alexander Wurz of the Williams, who also started towards the rear of the pack. BMX Wurz first tasted competition in the BMX World Championship and won it outright in 1986 Not to be confused with Frank Williams Racing Cars, formed by Frank Williams 1967 Kovalainen was pulling away from fellow Finn Kimi Räikkönen in his Ferrari in the closing stages, which was a real confidence booster for the team. Kimi-Matias Räikkönen (ˈkimi ˈmɑtiɑs ˈræikkønen born October 17, 1979 in Espoo) is a Finnish Formula One race car driver currently Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing

In the United States GP at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he also looked impressive. The 2007 United States Grand Prix was the seventh race of the 2007 Formula One season. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway Indiana (an Enclave of Indianapolis) in the United States, is the home of the He qualified well,and a good start saw him go past Räikkönen to go into fifth place. He held Räikkönen off, and led the race at the end of his first stint because those cars ahead of him had already made their pit stops. He re-joined behind the Ferrari, but looked comfortable in sixth place until Nick Heidfeld's BMW Sauber broke down in front of him, and Heikki took over Heidfeld's fifth place. Nick Lars Heidfeld, frequently referred to as Quick Nick, (born May 10 1977 in Mönchengladbach, West Germany) is a German BMW Sauber F1 are a Formula One team with bases in Hinwil, Switzerland and Munich, Germany. He stayed there until the chequered flag, and team-mate Fisichella failed to score points.

Kovalainen at the 2007 British Grand Prix. The 2007 British Grand Prix was the ninth race of the 2007 Formula One season.

The second half of the European season failed to produce such strong results, but it did keep the points tally ticking over. During the French GP at Magny-Cours, there would be disappointment. The 2007 French Grand Prix was the eighth race of the 2007 Formula One season. Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a Motor racing circuit located in France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers. He was with his team mate until the sharp Adelaide hairpin, where Jarno Trulli's Toyota made an optimistic lunge up the inside of Kovalainen which wrecked both drivers' races. Jarno Trulli (born July 13[[ 974]] age) is an Italian Formula One Auto racing driver currently driving for the Toyota team Kovalainen had to go back to the pits for some repair work and subsequently overtook just a few backmarkers. Seventh place at the British GP was no disaster, seeing as he beat Fisichella. The 2007 British Grand Prix was the ninth race of the 2007 Formula One season. The Nürburgring only gave Kovalainen a point, although a better strategy may have seen him on the podium. The Nürburgring, known as simply " The Ring " by enthusiasts is a Motorsport Race track in Nürburg, Germany. The Hungaroring only brought him one point, although Istanbul Park netted three, with Kovalainen coming ahead of Robert Kubica. The Hungaroring is a Formula 1 racing circuit in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary where the Hungarian Grand Prix is held Istanbul Park (İstanbul Park also known as the Istanbul Racing Circuit or initially Istanbul Otodrom, is a Motor sports Race track in Robert Kubica ( /'rɔbɛrt ku'bitsa/ ("koo-bit-sa" born December 7, 1984 in Kraków, Poland) is the first Polish Kovalainen led the Grand Prix there for a while, when those ahead of him outright pitted earlier than him. Seventh place at Monza was a fair result. Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a Motorsport Race track near the town of Monza, Italy, north of Milan. The team took a gamble at the next race in the Spa-Francorchamps, with Kovalainen on a one stop strategy when 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 sent ten places down the grid due to an engine change), Nico Rosberg and Mark Webber. The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race Nico Rosberg (born June 27, 1985) is a Racing driver for the Williams Formula One team Early career Mark Webber was born in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, son of Alan the local Motorcycle dealer A good start from Kovalainen saw him become a mobile chicane for all of these 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 GP at Fuji Speedway, where, despite not making it through to the final qualifying session, Kovalainen raced well. The 2007 Japanese Grand Prix was the fifteenth race of the 2007 Formula One season. Fuji Speedway is a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan While most of his rivals got into trouble in one way or another, Kovalainen did not and held off Kimi Räikkönen to take second place and his first podium in Formula One.

McLaren

Kovalainen driving the McLaren MP4-23 at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix. McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937&ndash1970 is a Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, UK The McLaren MP4-23 is Vodafone McLaren - Mercedes ' Formula One Car for the 2008 Formula One season. The 2008 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 8 June, 2008 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montréal Canada

On 14 December 2007, it was confirmed that Kovalainen would drive the second car for McLaren Mercedes for the 2008 Formula One season alongside Lewis Hamilton. McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937&ndash1970 is a Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, UK Pre-season testing The first multi-team test session started in Jerez on January 14 2008. Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born Stevenage, 7 January 1985 Kovalainen is the fourth Finn to race for the Woking based team, following Keke Rosberg, Mika Häkkinen and Kimi Räikkönen, all of whom have won the World Championship, albeit Mika Häkkinen being the only Finn to win the World Championship in a McLaren car. Keijo Erik Rosberg ( (born 6 December 1948 in Solna, Stockholm County, Sweden) nicknamed "Keke" is a Mika Pauli Häkkinen ( (born September 28, 1968 in Helsingin maalaiskunta) is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula Kimi-Matias Räikkönen (ˈkimi ˈmɑtiɑs ˈræikkønen born October 17, 1979 in Espoo) is a Finnish Formula One race car driver currently Kovalainen began his first official testing session with McLaren on January 9 2008 with Pedro de la Rosa at Jerez, and continued the next day with Lewis Hamilton. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Pedro Martínez de la Rosa (born February 24 1971 in Barcelona, Spain) is a Spanish Formula One driver currently Circuito Permanente de Jerez is a 4428 m (2752- Miles racing circuit located in the city of Jerez de la Frontera, deep within the Sherry -producing Kovalainen's best laptime was 1:19. 752, losing to Hamilton only by 0. 061 seconds. On the third day of Valencia testing Kovalainen posted the fastest lap of the day with 1:11. 000, a new lap record on the Valencia track for a V8 engine. On the third day of Jerez testing Kovalainen posted the fastest lap of the day with 1:17. 974, a new lap record on the Jerez track for a V8 engine. In his first race at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix he was the quickest in Q1 and started 3rd on the grid behind Lewis Hamilton and Robert Kubica. The 2008 Australian Grand Prix was the first race of the 2008 Formula One season, and was won by McLaren - Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born Stevenage, 7 January 1985 Robert Kubica ( /'rɔbɛrt ku'bitsa/ ("koo-bit-sa" born December 7, 1984 in Kraków, Poland) is the first Polish A safety car situation prevented Kovalainen from finishing in second place behind team-mate Lewis Hamilton. He ended the race in fifth, after accidentally pressing the pit lane limiter on the final lap and granting fourth place to Fernando Alonso.

2008 Spanish Grand Prix

Kovalainen driving for McLaren at the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix. McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937&ndash1970 is a Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, UK The 2008 Gran Premio de España Telefónica was a Formula One motor race and the fourth round of the 2008 Formula One season.

At the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix on 27 April 2008, Kovalainen was leading on lap 22, when his car crashed into the tyre wall. The 2008 Gran Premio de España Telefónica was a Formula One motor race and the fourth round of the 2008 Formula One season. Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The crash was very reminiscent to Lewis Hamilton's crash the previous year at the Nürburgring, with a similar looking tyre failure. Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born Stevenage, 7 January 1985 The 2007 European Grand Prix was the tenth race of the 2007 Formula One season. The Nürburgring, known as simply " The Ring " by enthusiasts is a Motorsport Race track in Nürburg, Germany. Kovalainen's car was almost completely buried under the tyres, which consisted of five rows. In previous years, the same position only had three rows of tyres. Additional two rows were added for the 2008 race by Paco "Paquillo" Mora, who is responsible for the mainentance of the track. This possibly saved Kovalainen from hitting the wall, thus preventing a possible serious injury. He waited in his car as marshals removed it from the track. The safety car was deployed for six laps as the debris was removed, and he was finally removed from the car and placed in a stretcher, at which point he gave a "thumbs-up", the first sign of life for over 10 minutes. He was then taken by helicopter to a Barcelona area hospital for further tests. Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia His final condition was a minor concussion, whilst also complaining of a sore elbow and neck. ^[5][6] He was released from the hospital the next day and was able to race in the Turkish Grand Prix, two weeks later.

Racing record

* Season in progress

Complete Formula One results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

* Season in progress

References

External links

• Heikki Kovalainen - official website
• Brazilian Fansite