After bouncing back from his horrific high-speed accident in the Spanish Grand Prix just two weeks ago,
Heikki Kovalainen has joked that maybe getting hit on the head there was a positive thing – as he stormed to the maiden front row start of his
Formula 1 career in Istanbul this weekend.
Kovalainen was knocked unconscious after his McLaren-Mercedes became embedded deep in the Circuit de Catalunya's turn nine tyre barriers, following a wheel rim failure that led to a puncture and rendered the Finn a mere passenger as his car ploughed head-on into the gravel trap at unabated speed.
Though some wondered whether he would be able to compete in Turkey a fortnight later, the man himself answered those questions in style in qualifying around the physically demanding Istanbul Park circuit – by planting his MP4-23 firmly on the front row of the grid, alongside track specialist
Felipe Massa in the
Ferrari and
ahead of
McLaren team-mate
Lewis Hamilton, making it three-two in their personal battle this year.
“Maybe it was good to get hit on the head in Barcelona,” the 26-year-old quipped afterwards, “but I very much doubt that, to be honest! It has been a rollercoaster the last couple of weeks. I was very lucky to survive the accident without any injuries, and my recovery has been fantastic.
“I have to say many thanks to the medical people in Spain, and then when I got back to Finland I did some medical check-ups there and I did some training as well. I went to a special sports institute [and] worked with specialists who help people recover from head injuries, and they all did a great job. They knew exactly where we were going, and I was increasing my physical training and fitness training all the time to make sure my body could take the stress.
