Kovalainen talks R26

The Finnish third driver of the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team, Heikki Kovalainen, had his first run in the new car, R26, in Valencia on Wednesday. He was pleased with what he found. Here follows an interview with Heikki Kovalainen.

Interview with Heikki Kovalainen

Heikki, today was your first test with the R26. Tell us about it…
"I felt really good potential, both in the chassis and the engine. The package seems good, and consistent, and shows we can expect good performances. Of course, it is still very early and I have only done one day with the R26, but I think that this is a good base for our work."

You have already run with the R25. Are there any differences in the new car?
"The R25 was a very good car, that’s for sure. The R26 is an evolution of last year’s car, and I feel good in it after the first runs. I would maybe say it is even more comfortable to drive, and more stable, but one thing is sure: it is just as nice to drive!"

What is your programme for this week?
"For the team, the aim is to continue learning about the car and to do maximum mileage to work on reliability, because that will be the important thing in Bahrain. We also want to do some set-up work on the engine and chassis, to understand how they affect the car’s handling."

And what are you expecting from the test sessions?
"From my point of view, I want to concentrate on the test programme because it will be very important for the start of the season; to continue learning about how the team works; and most of all to work, work, work… I am feeling better and better inside the team, and build the relationship with the technical team. That’s very important, I think."