Heikki Kovalainen
Heikki Johannes Kovalainen (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈheikki ˈkoʋɑlɑinen]; born 19 October 1981) is a Finnish racing driver. He raced in Formula 1 between 2007 and 2013 for the Renault, McLaren, Team Lotus and Lotus F1 teams.
He was supported by the Renault 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 series. Renault signed him on as a full-time Formula One test driver for 2006, and then promoted him to a race seat for 2007. He gained his first podium by finishing second in the Japanese Grand Prix that year.
He moved to McLaren for the 2008 season, where he partnered Lewis Hamilton. His second season saw him achieve his first pole position at Silverstone and his first victory at Hungaroring, becoming the 100th driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix. He remained with the team for the 2009 season. In 2010, he moved to Team Lotus where he remained for 2011. He competed in the last two races of the 2013 for Lotus F1 as a short-notice stand-in for regular driver Kimi Räikkönen.
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Famous quotes by Heikki Kovalainen:
"I managed to do another race distance today, which was good. The car handled well and I felt comfortable at the wheel again. We then had the problem with the wing that meant I had to stop running, but the main thing is that we will still be able to carry on running on Thursday."
"I made a long-term commitment to Renault and I believe I have a good chance to drive races in 2007."
"It is well-known that Fernando Alonso is leaving the team."
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