Heikki Kovalainen, born on 19 October 1981, in Suomussalmi, Finland, raced in Formula 1 between 2007 and 2013. From a young age, Heikki harboured a deep passion for motorsports and began his F1 journey in go-kart racing at just 11 years old. He achieved early success by winning several championships, including the Finnish Formula A Championship in 1999.
| Nationality | Finnish |
|---|---|
| Born | Heikki Johannes Kovalainen 19 October 1981 Suomussalmi, Finland |
In 2002, Heikki clinched the British Formula Renault championship, a victory that caught the attention of the Renault Driver Development Program. This led to his Formula 1 debut in 2007 with Renault. He made a significant impact in his first season, achieving his first podium at the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix, where he finished third. His performance continued to be strong in his second season, now with McLaren, although he often found himself trailing behind his teammate, Lewis Hamilton. Nevertheless, Heikki earned his first and only F1 victory at the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix.
He continued with McLaren in 2009 but faced a tough season before being dropped by the team. Heikki continued in Formula 1 until 2013, driving for lower mid-field teams like Lotus Racing and Caterham. A memorable moment from Heikki’s time lower down the grid was when his car caught fire at the 2012 Singapore Grand Prix, forcing him to retire. Displaying remarkable composure, Heikki waved to the crowd as he exited the burning car, earning a standing ovation for his sportsmanship and courage.
He saw out his final season in 2013 with Lotus F1, after which he moved to other racing series, including the Blancpain GT Series.
While Heikki Kovalainen’s Formula 1 career might not have been as decorated as some of his contemporaries, he went on to race in the 2023 Extreme E season racing for Jenson Button‘s team, JBXE, where he teamed up with Hedda Hosås. His stint was brief, as Andreas Bakkerud replaced him after two championship rounds.
Heikki Kovalainen Formula One World Championship career
| Active years | 2007–2013 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Renault, McLaren, Lotus Racing, Caterham, Lotus F1 |
| Entries | 112 (111 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 4 |
| Career points | 105 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 2 |
| First entry | 2007 Australian Grand Prix |
| First win | 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| Last win | 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Heikki Kovalainen Teammates
| 12 Teammates | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giancarlo Fisichella | 17 | 2007 | |
| Lewis Hamilton | 35 | 2008 | 2009 |
| Jarno Trulli | 37 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Fairuz Fauzy | 5 | 2010 | |
| Karun Chandhok | 10 | 2011 | |
| Davide Valsecchi | 1 | 2011 | |
| Luiz Razia | 2 | 2011 | |
| Vitaly Petrov | 20 | 2012 | |
| Giedo van der Garde | 12 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Alexander Rossi | 1 | 2012 | |
| Charles Pic | 6 | 2013 | |
| Romain Grosjean | 2 | 2013 |
Race Wins
| Win Number | Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix |
Complete Formula One Results
| 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 | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 NC | 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 | AUS Ret | MAL 15 | CHN 16 | TUR 19 | ESP Ret | MON 14 | CAN Ret | EUR 19 | GBR Ret | GER 16 | HUN Ret | BEL 15 | ITA 13 | SIN 16 | JPN 18 | KOR 14 | IND 14 | ABU 17 | BRA 16 | 22nd | 0 | |
| 2012 | Caterham F1 Team | Caterham CT01 | Renault RS27-2012 2.4 V8 | AUS Ret | MAL 18 | CHN 23 | BHR 17 | ESP 16 | MON 13 | CAN 18 | EUR 14 | GBR 17 | GER 19 | HUN 17 | BEL 17 | ITA 14 | SIN 15 | JPN 15 | KOR 17 | IND 18 | ABU 13 | USA 18 | BRA 14 | 22nd | 0 |
| 2013 | Caterham F1 Team | Caterham CT03 | Renault RS27-2013 2.4 V8 | AUS | MAL | CHN | BHR TD | ESP TD | MON | CAN | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL TD | ITA TD | SIN | KOR | JPN TD | IND | ABU TD | 21st | 0 | |||
| Lotus F1 Team | Lotus E21 | Renault RS27-2013 2.4 V8 | USA 14 | BRA 14 |
Sources: Wikipedia.com
