Nationality: Finland
Date of Birth: 19 October 1981
Drivers championships: 0
Grand Prix victories: 1
Races started: 111
Pole positions: 1
Teams:
Caterham 2012 -2013,
Lotus 2010 - 2011,
McLaren 2008 - 2009,
Renault 2007
Heikki Kovalainen career
Heikki Kovalainen raced in GP 2 in 2005 and in 2006 he was the full time test driver for Renault. When Alonso left Renault for McLaren at the end of 2006 the Kovalainen got the F1 drive in the Renault. With Alonso returning Renault in 2008, Kovalainen moved across to McLaren and won his first Grand Prix in Hungary in 2008, however he was consistently out performed by his team mate, Lewis Hamilton. The 2009 season was a poor season for both Kovalainen and McLaren and at the end of the season he was replaced by Jenson Button and so for 2010 he moved to the new Lotus team. After two season he then moved to Caterham.
Previous seasons
2013
Team: Lotus F1
Position: 21
Points: 0
Race wins: 0
Pole positions: 0 He competed in the final two races of the season for the Renault team re-branded as Lotus F1.
2012
Team: Caterham
Position: 22
Points: 0
Race wins: 0
Pole positions: 0 Team Lotus became Caterham but this years an was slow, but Kovalainen did mange a best result of 13th.
2011
Team: Team Lotus
Position: 22
Points: 0
Race wins: 0
Pole positions: 0 This was a similar season to the previous season with a best result of 13th.
2010
Team: Team Lotus
Position: 20
Points: 0
Race wins: 0
Pole positions: 0 He signed for Lotus this season but the car was not quick and he had a best result of 12th.
2009
Team: McLaren
Position: 12
Points: 22
Race wins: 0
Pole positions: 0 This was a difficult start to the season with several retirements but improved in the middle of the season with a best result of 4th in Valencia.
2008
Team: McLaren
Position: 7
Points: 53
Race wins: 1
Pole positions: 1 This season he moved to McLaren and had his best season in F1. His only F1 race win was in Hungary and he also had his only pole position in Britain.
2007
Team: Renault
Position: 7
Points: 30
Race wins: 0
Pole positions: 0 He had a good consistent first season in F1, finishing every race except the final race of the season. He scored points in 11 races with a best result of 2nd in Japan.
