Interview With Heikki Kovalainen
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Jul 31, 2008
McLaren
Question: Some people are saying your role in McLaren is a support role for Lewis Hamilton. How do you see your role?
Heikki Kovalainen: Well, I think first of all I don’t think Lewis needs any help. I think he has shown himself that he can do the job and that he doesn’t need anyone there. The second point is that I am trying to do the maximum for myself and I am not helping any other drivers, that’s for sure. And I have no instructions from the team. In the past it has been very clear that at McLaren they have had the policy of equal drivers and both have the same opportunities. I have the same car, the same opportunity and I am just working towards improving the pace and the results. The last few races have been a little bit disappointing but the only way to move on is to keep working hard and eventually the results will come. Interestingly, following this conversation it always arises that I am helping and I am in the support role but I don’t see it like that.
Question: What about testing at Jerez for this grand prix. How did that go?
Heikki Kovalainen: I think it went really well. Gary (Paffett) did the first day and Pedro (de la Rosa) the next two days and I did the final day. Overall I think we improved the package again. It is a very big push from everybody in the team to improve the car all the time. I think we are making good progress and for myself the last day we made some set-up changes and some modifications to try to improve my situation, especially improving the pace in the races. I feel that we have made a step forward and we will see how it goes this weekend but in general the qualifying has been strong but in the races I have suffered more, so we are trying to focus on that. I think we are making good progress and we will see this weekend if we have made a significant step or not.
Question: After your intensive working in Jerez last week, how much closer do you think you are to Lewis’s race pace?
Heikki Kovalainen: I am confident that we made steps forward and I think it is fair to say that Lewis hit the sweet-spot in the last couple of races pretty well. It was always going to be difficult to match him. We will find out this weekend how things have improved. I think had the Silverstone race been dry, it could have been a different story. I felt my car was very strong there and the whole package was very much together and at Hockenheim I was never able to get the same feeling. I think we have got on top of things pretty well. Certainly the feeling at Woking and the last day I spent testing in Jerez confirmed that we are heading in the right direction but the only way to improve the things is to keep working, keep moving forward and eventually we will arrive there. I have no doubt about that.
Question: What are your thoughts about McLaren clarifying your contract for next year?
Heikki Kovalainen: I think as far as I am concerned I have never been worried about my contractual situation. Since the beginning of my McLaren career it has been the target to extend this relationship for many, many years. I think it is just to clarify the situation for everybody of where we are at the moment. First of all I can say I am very, very happy with this team. I have had no second thoughts since I joined this team. I think there is a great potential in this team and I want to be part of it. I want to become a successful driver in this team and hopefully we can announce at some point in the future that I can stay here for many, many years. I would be happy to finish my career at this team to be honest.
