Kovalainen enjoys life at McLaren!
Heikki Kovalainen says he is very surprised by the reasons that give McLaren the reputation of being a cold and impersonal team. He claims that he has never been as happy as he is today in his entire career. The Finn signed with the team at the end of last season, after a tumultuous season […]
Heikki Kovalainen says he is very surprised by the reasons that give McLaren the reputation of being a cold and impersonal team. He claims that he has never been as happy as he is today in his entire career.
The Finn signed with the team at the end of last season, after a tumultuous season for the Woking team, which included the espionage affair and the departure of Fernando Alonso after just one year.
And after only a few weeks with the British team, Kovalainen says that what he experienced at McLaren is very different from what he had heard.
« I heard a lot of stories, I joined McLaren, but I don’t understand how these observations could have been made, » Kovalainen told reporters during the Jerez tests.
« Everyone was very friendly and welcoming to me, the atmosphere is calm, and everyone is working hard. It’s probably the first time I’ve been this happy in my life. »
Kovalainen has also been encouraged by the good form of the new McLaren MP4-23 in recent times. However, he refused to predict the level of competitiveness of the car.
« I already feel the difference compared to last year with Renault. It’s not a big difference, it’s just a little better in all areas. »
« I feel in tune with the car and the engineers seem motivated, but it’s too early to talk about initial results. You can’t know where you stand during testing because you don’t know what the other teams are doing, » he stated.
The Finn is also working tirelessly to ensure a better start to the season than last year. His first race with Renault turned out to be quite chaotic.
« Last year, I was not well prepared physically, mentally, and technically, and I had not spent enough time with the team. »
« With McLaren, we have made changes to my fitness program to make me a better athlete. I have also spent more time at the factory. I think I will be a better driver on March 16th in Melbourne than I was last year at the same time, » concluded the driver who finished the 2007 season in 7th place in the championship.
