Heikki Kovalainen: A Finn Raring to make his mark at Formula 1
Heikki Kovalainen was born on 19th October, 1981, in Suomussalmi, Finland. Born to an ice-racing father, Kovalainen seemed destined to become a race driver from a very young age. Following the path of his Finnish forerunners Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen, the aspiring Finn became a frequent contender at local and international kart racing contests. He finally managed to secure to a license at the age of 10.
Kovalainen gradually established his credentials as a gifted driver, came into his own in 2000, after triumphing at the acclaimed Elf Masters karting competition at Bercy. The same year, Kovalainen was also heralded Finland’s “Driver of the Year”. He decided the time was ripe to make a move to single-seater racing. It turned out to be a sensible decision as the raring Finn made a transition to the British Formula Renault series for the 2001 campaign.
In England, the 20 year-old debutant notched up two victories to be crowned the “Rookie of the Year.” Impatient to reach for greater heights, Kovalainen swiftly enrolled himself in Renault’s young driver project. He engineered his advance to the British Formula Three series where he would be equipped with a Renault car.
The manoeuvre rendered dividends and in spite of his relatively inferior car, the Finn wrapped up the third position in the overall championship race after booking five victories. Kovalainen also emulated previous year’s feat after claiming the “Rookie of the Year” award for the second year in the running. The Finn was no let down at F3’s international contests either, and produced some solid displays at both the Marlboro Masters and the Grand Prix at Macau that saw him notch the fourth and second spots respectively.
Eager to further satiate his bursting ambition, the zestful Finn once more felt it was time for another change. In 2003, he proceeded to the coveted World Series by Nissan. This time, however, Kovalainen was determined to stay put long enough to add a championship victory to his name. It was an achievement that had evaded the Finn in the single-seater arena.
Kovalainen did not have to wait long for his wish come true. After ending runner-up in the 2003 title race, the talented Finn ultimately seized the championship the following season. He had outclassed the likes of Tiago Monteiro and Narain Karthikeyan amongst others on his way to the victory. That, subsequently, unleashed several opportunities including a much sought-after Formula One test drive.
Kovalainen was offered to test with Renault a number of times and the Finn’s inherent pace and assured performances meant he did not disappoint. Kovalainen further added a remarkable win to his stock after winning over champion Michael Schumacher in 2004 at the Race of Champions contest. However, regardless of such success, the opportunity for a full-time stint at the Formula One circuit evaded Kovalainen. Eventually, he had to content himself with a spell at GP2 in 2005 where he ended second in the championship behind Germany’s Nico Roseberg in a highly challenging showdown.
Having proven his mettle, Kovalainen was finally able to persuade Renault to sign him up permanently as a test driver for the 2006 season. Under the mentorship of team principal Flavio Briatore, Kovalainen sharpened his skills considerably. As a result he was considered for one of Formula One’s most eagerly desired seats; the void left in Renault by Fernando Alonso’s exit to McLaren in 2007.
After putting on a few jittery initial performances, the Finn soon picked up momentum as the season progressed. Kovalainen, vindicated Renault’s faith in style as he overshadowed his more experienced team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella.
The following year Kovalainen moved over to McLaren, once again to fill the gloves of a Ferrari-bound Fernando Alonso. Paired with Lewis Hamilton, Kovalainen had a hard act to follow and was outclassed persistently by his teammate throughout the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Despite producing several solid performances for the British-based squad, the Finn was replaced by newly crowned world champion Jenson Button. Subsequently, he joined ranks with the freshly engineered Lotus team for the 2010 campaign.
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