On the limit every lap - Kovalainen

The Finnish ING Renault F1 Team driver, Heikki Kovalainen, is satisfied to have scored points, but he’d have liked to have finished a bit higher up in the classification. The rookie finished the Italian GP in 7th position and collected 2 points.

"It was difficult, really. I pushed every lap and I was on the limit everywhere but we just lacked that little extra in race set-up. That’s why I lost a place to Nico Rosberg who was on a different strategy to mine. I finished seventh thanks to Massa’s retirement, so I scored another two points, but today’s race leaves a slightly bitter taste. Everybody in the team expected a bit more."

"I got off the grid very well. I immediately passed Robert Kubica’s BMW and I attacked Nick Heidfeld, but he pushed me onto the grass and I had to lift off, so Kubica was able to get by me again."

"Yes, especially against the stopwatch because in the end I had a pretty lonely race. Rosberg and me were duelling at a distance. He chose to stop only once while I was on a two-stop strategy."

"Well yes and no. Sixth place would have been really satisfying. But nobody made any mistakes and refuelling went off without a hitch, so we’ve nothing to reproach ourselves about."

"Monza is a very specific track as the cars have to have a specially-designed aero package. Spa’s requirements are very different. We tested there early in the summer and we gathered a lot of data. Our aim will be to recapture the pace we showed in Turkey."