Working hard to improve again - Kovalainen

Fresh from scoring his first F1 point, the Finnish Renault F1 Team driver, Heikki Kovalainen, wants to make another step forward this weekend. This time, Kovalainen won't be racing on unknown soil as he has been racing here in GP2 last season and tested at Sakhir during winter testing with the Renault R27.

"Yes, I raced in the GP2 series final here in 2005, and even though I missed out on the title at that race, I still have good memories of the track. It is a demanding circuit, and the conditions are tough for the cars and the drivers, which means we usually see interesting races here."

"Naturally, it’s an important moment for my career, a good feeling, and you have to start somewhere! I was quite happy with my race, and pleased with the progress compared to Melbourne. I still need to improve, and work hard along with the team. But I am confident we all have what it takes to improve our pace."

"We ran here in February, so we have a good idea of how the car handles on this circuit. It features a lot of long straights and a few fast corners, which means you need to find a good compromise on downforce between good straightline speed, and enough grip in the corners. We have to pay attention to cooling the brakes properly, because there are some major braking areas. So we need good cooling, and good consistency from the braking system. The tyres will have a hard time too, but as always, we will be able to understand their behaviour and performance during the practice sessions on Friday, in order to fine-tune the car’s handling for qualifying and the race."