Heikki Kovalainen : Kovy

Heikki Kovalainen is a racing driver Finnish born the October 19th 1981 with Suomussalmi (Finland). It carries out its beginnings in the championship of the world of Formule 1 in 2007 on behalf of the stable Renault F1 TEAM, of which he was hitherto the pilot tester, at the sides of tried out pilot Italy N Giancarlo Fisichella.



BIOGRAPHY
Heikki Kovalainen begins its career in the competitions from Karting in 1991. Affirming itself with the passing of years like one of the world specialists in the speciality, it gains in particular in 2000 Masters Elf organized in Paris-Bercy.

In 2001, Kovalainen reaches the automobile sport in the British championship of Formule Renault, which it finishes in the fourth place of general classification with two victories, which makes of him the best beginning from the year. In 2002, supported by Renault Development Driver (a structure assembled by Bruno Michel and Flavio Briatore and intended to prepare the future pilots of the mark to the rhombus Formulates 1 of them), it passes in British F3, where it is affirmed again like the best beginning from the year with 5 victories and the 3rd place with the championship.

In 2003, always supported by Renault, Kovalainen disputes the championship of World Series by Nissan. For its first season in the discipline, it finishes vice-champion behind his fellow-member Franck Montagny, before conquering the title in 2004. But this year there, it is especially made off know general public by gaining at the Stade de France the “Race Champions”, competition of prestige during which it dominates several stars established of the automobile sport such as Sebastien Loeb or Michael Schumacher.

In 2005, it joined the new championship GP 2 Series which it approaches in position of favorite. But after a remarkable beginning of the season, it is finally beaten on the wire by Nico Rosberg and must be satisfied with the place of vice-champion. Parallel to its season of GP2, Kovalainen is in 2005 the second pilot tester of the Renault F1 TEAM (the other being Franck Montagny), before only occupying in 2006 the post of pilot tester. With more 18 000 kilometers covered in 2006, Heikki Kovalainen carried out - at the sides of its team-members Alonso and Fisichella - a big part of the development of the car world champion.

Heikki impressed the team, with the length of the meetings of tests, by its excellent technical knowledge, its capacity to progress and its natural speed at the wheel. Its services appeared sufficiently convincing with Renault so that the stable world champion decides to establish it in 2007 to replace Fernando Alonso, left at McLaren, thus offering opportunity to him of running in Grand Prix in a team of point.

After puffing beginnings, especially compared with those of Lewis Hamilton, Heikki proves to be a reliable pilot, since it will record its only abandonment of the season at the time of the last race, with Interlagos. Before that, he had managed to go up on the podium at the time of the insane Grand Prix of Japan, and he precedes with final his fellow-member Giancarlo Fisichella of nine points to the Championship!