Heikki Kovalainen facts for kids

Heikki Kovalainen

Kovalainen at the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix
Nationality Finnish
Date of birth	19 October 1981 (1981-10-19)
Formula One World Championship career
2011 team	Team Lotus-Renault
2011 car #	20
Races	82 (81 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	1
Podiums	4
Career points	105
Pole positions	1
Fastest laps	2

Heikki Johannes Kovalainen (born October 19, 1981 in Suomussalmi, Finland) is a Finnish Formula One racing driver who spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons with British-based team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. In 2010, he joined the new Lotus team.

Racing record

Career summary

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
2001	Formula Renault 2000 UK	Fortec Motorsport	13	2	2	3	5	243	4th
	Macau Grand Prix		1	0	0	0	0	N/A	8th
	Korea Super Prix		1	0	0	0	0	N/A	25th
2002	British Formula Three	Fortec Motorsport	26	5	2	3	12	257	3rd
	Macau Grand Prix		1	0	0	0	1	N/A	2nd
	Korea Super Prix		1	0	0	0	0	N/A	14th
	Masters of Formula 3		1	0	0	0	0	N/A	4th
2003	World Series by Nissan	Gabord Competición	18	1	3	1	4	134	2nd
2004	World Series by Nissan	Pons Racing	18	6	10	8	11	176	1st
2005	GP2 Series	Arden International	23	5	2	1	12	105	2nd
2006	Formula One	Mild Seven Renault F1 Team	Test driver
2007	Formula One	ING Renault F1 Team	17	0	0	0	1	30	7th
2008	Formula One	Vodafone McLaren Mercedes	18	1	1	2	3	53	7th
2009	Formula One	Vodafone McLaren Mercedes	17	0	0	0	0	22	12th
2010	Formula One	Lotus Racing	19	0	0	0	0	0	20th
2011	Formula One	Team Lotus	11	0	0	0	0	0*	23rd*

^* Season in progress.

Complete GP2 Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	DC	Points
2005	Arden International	SMR FEA 1	SMR SPR 3	ESP FEA 3	ESP SPR Ret	MON FEA 5	EUR FEA 1	EUR SPR Ret	FRA FEA 1	FRA SPR 3	GBR FEA 2	GBR SPR 3	GER FEA 5	GER SPR 6	HUN FEA 2	HUN SPR 5	TUR FEA 10	TUR SPR 1	ITA FEA 1	ITA SPR 5	BEL FEA 15	BEL SPR 9	BHR FEA 3	BHR SPR Ret	2nd	105

Complete Formula One results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	WDC	Points
2007	ING Renault F1 Team	Renault R27	Renault RS27 2.4 V8	AUS 10	MAL 8	BHR 9	ESP 7	MON 13	CAN 4	USA 5	FRA 15	GBR 7	EUR 8	HUN 8	TUR 6	ITA 7	BEL 8	JPN 2	CHN 9	BRA Ret				7th	30
2008	Vodafone McLaren Mercedes	McLaren MP4-23	Mercedes FO 108V 2.4 V8	AUS 5	MAL 3	BHR 5	ESP Ret	TUR 12	MON 8	CAN 9	FRA 4	GBR 5	GER 5	HUN 1	EUR 4	BEL 10	ITA 2	SIN 10	JPN Ret	CHN Ret	BRA 7			7th	53
2009	Vodafone McLaren Mercedes	McLaren MP4-24	Mercedes FO 108W 2.4 V8	AUS Ret	MAL Ret	CHN 5	BHR 12	ESP Ret	MON Ret	TUR 14	GBR Ret	GER 8	HUN 5	EUR 4	BEL 6	ITA 6	SIN 7	JPN 11	BRA 12	ABU 11				12th	22
2010	Lotus Racing	Lotus T127	Cosworth CA2010 2.4 V8	BHR 15	AUS 13	MAL Ret	CHN 14	ESP DNS	MON Ret	TUR Ret	CAN 16	EUR Ret	GBR 17	GER Ret	HUN 14	BEL 16	ITA 18	SIN 16	JPN 12	KOR 13	BRA 18	ABU 17		20th	0
2011	Team Lotus	Lotus T128	Renault RS27-2011 2.4 V8												BEL	ITA	SIN	JPN	KOR	IND	ABU	BRA		23rd*	0*

^* Season in progress.

Images for kids

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  Kovalainen at the 2002 Macau Grand Prix

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  Kovalainen testing for Renault F1 in 2006, at Valencia

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  Kovalainen at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix, leading Nico Rosberg

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  Kovalainen at the 2007 British Grand Prix

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  Kovalainen driving the McLaren MP4-23

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  Kovalainen leading Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone

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  Kovalainen testing the McLaren MP4-24 at Jerez

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  Kovalainen at the 2009 German Grand Prix

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  Kovalainen driving for Lotus at the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix

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  Kovalainen driving for Lotus at the 2011 Italian Grand Prix

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  Kovalainen, complete with his new Angry Birds-themed helmet design, driving for Caterham at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix.

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  Kovalainen testing at the 2013 Italian Grand Prix

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  Kovalainen and Michael Schumacher at the 2007 Race of Champions