I’ve improved from race to race - Kovalainen

The Finnish ING Renault F1 Team driver, Heikki Kovalainen, is ready and waiting for the Canadian Grand Prix. The rookie driver is confident about the weekend at Montreal and believes that the team has made a step forward.

"It’s absolutely nothing. I was asked a question and I wanted to make a jokey reply and it was taken literally! Nelson and I talked about it today and we had a laugh. It was a joke, not an attack on him. In short, it wasn’t a boxing match or anything like that and everything’s okay; it was just a misunderstanding on the part of a few journalists."

"I think we’ve made a step forward but this circuit is very different to the ones we’ve raced on this year. Like Giancarlo, I’m feeling confident about the weekend. I didn’t do all that well in Monaco, but I’ve already put it behind me. I’ve prepared well for Montreal and we’ll see how the car will behave. I want to improve on my best result so far: my seventh place in Barcelona."

"Yes indeed. Once I got past David Coulthard after my first stop I was able to up the pace and my lap times were very close to Fisi’s. The car wasn’t too bad; it was pretty well balanced overall. The new wing has had a big impact on its behaviour. But it has to be said that Montreal is a very different circuit. We’ll soon see if the chassis is adapted to it."

"Absolutely. The car’s more consistent and its grip level is better. It’s also more predictable and that makes it easier for me to push. Beforehand, it was reacting different from one lap to the next."

"I could have done better in some races, especially in Australia where I made too many mistakes. I can’t really be satisfied with my performances up till now but, and that’s important, I’ve improved from race to race. In Barcelona this paid off. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it into the top ten on the grid in Monaco because I was baulked in qualifying. There have been some small incidents but my start to the season is nothing to be embarrassed about."