Heikki Kovalainen is preparing to be brave in this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, as he targets a top result to atone for the disappointment of the Turkish Grand Prix nine days ago, a race McLaren-Mercedes CEO Martin Whitmarsh is convinced the Finn could have won [see separate story –
click here].
That Kovalainen was even competing at all around the Istanbul Park Circuit was a testament to his bravery in itself, following his terrifying high-speed shunt at Barcelona a fortnight earlier, that had knocked him briefly unconscious and left him hospitalised for a couple of days. He returned to action in Turkey, though, and in some style, by out-qualifying team-mate
Lewis Hamilton – despite being on a heavier fuel load than the Briton – to seal the maiden front row starting spot of his fledgling
Formula 1 career.
Sadly, a tag from behind from
Kimi Raikkonen into the first corner would leave Kovalainen with an early puncture and facing an uphill battle race-long, but that blow has only served to further strengthen the 26-year-old's determination to return to the podium. Nowhere is he keener to do so than around the winding, tortuous streets of the Principality, an arena in which his countrymen have traditionally shone. Keke Rosberg won there for
Williams back in 1983, with Mika Hakkinen subsequently triumphing in 1998 and Raikkonen emerging victorious seven years later – both with
McLaren.
“I want to have a trouble-free race and be able to show the pace we have in the car,” Kovalainen expressed as he bids to make it a recent Finnish hat-trick. “It felt really good all weekend in Turkey, and we had a good test on the Monaco-simulation track at Paul Ricard.
“We have certainly improved and hopefully we can capitalise on that at Monaco. Of all the races, Monaco is the most unpredictable grand prix. As always I want to be challenging for the win, but with this race who can say?”
