Heikki Kovalainen, born on 19 October 1981, in Suomussalmi, Finland, raced in Formula 1 between 2007 and 2013. From a young age, Heikki harboured a deep passion for motorsports and began his F1 journey in go-kart racing at just 11 years old. He achieved early success by winning several championships, including the Finnish Formula A Championship in 1999.
| Nationality | Finnish |
|---|---|
| Born | Heikki Johannes Kovalainen 19 October 1981 Suomussalmi, Finland |
In 2002, Heikki finished third in the British Formula 3 Championship while supported by the Renault Driver Development Program. This led to his Formula 1 debut in 2007 with Renault. He made a significant impact in his first season, achieving his first podium at the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix, where he finished second. His performance continued to be strong in his second season, now with McLaren, although he often found himself trailing behind his teammate, Lewis Hamilton. Nevertheless, Heikki earned his first and only F1 victory at the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix.
He continued with McLaren in 2009 but faced a tough season before being dropped by the team. Heikki continued in Formula 1 until 2013, driving for lower mid-field teams like Lotus Racing and Caterham. A memorable moment from Heikki’s time lower down the grid was when his car caught fire at the 2010 Singapore Grand Prix, forcing him to retire. Displaying remarkable composure, Heikki took a fire extinguisher and tackled the flames himself.
He saw out his final season in 2013 with Lotus F1, after which he moved to other racing series, including the Blancpain GT Series.
While Heikki Kovalainen’s Formula 1 career might not have been as decorated as some of his contemporaries, he went on to race in the 2023 Extreme E season racing for Jenson Button‘s team, JBXE, where he teamed up with Hedda Hosås. His stint was brief, as Andreas Bakkerud replaced him after two championship rounds.
Heikki Kovalainen Formula One World Championship career
| Active years | 2007–2013 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Renault, McLaren, Lotus Racing, Caterham, Lotus F1 |
| Entries | 112 (111 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 4 |
| Career points | 105 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 2 |
| First entry | 2007 Australian Grand Prix |
| First win | 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| Last win | 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Heikki Kovalainen Teammates
| 12 Teammates | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giancarlo Fisichella | 17 | 2007 | |
| Lewis Hamilton | 35 | 2008 | 2009 |
| Jarno Trulli | 37 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Fairuz Fauzy | 5 | 2010 | |
| Karun Chandhok | 10 | 2011 | |
| Davide Valsecchi | 1 | 2011 | |
| Luiz Razia | 2 | 2011 | |
| Vitaly Petrov | 20 | 2012 | |
| Giedo van der Garde | 12 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Alexander Rossi | 1 | 2012 | |
| Charles Pic | 6 | 2013 | |
| Romain Grosjean | 2 | 2013 |
Race Wins
| Win Number | Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix |
