After spending two years with McLaren, Heikki Kovalainen will switch to his third Formula 1 team for 2010 as he joins Lotus alongside Jarno Trulli and test driver Fairuz Fauzy. With the legendary name making a return to the sport, the Finn is excited to be part of the project.
After making his F1 debut with Renault in 2007, Kovalainen switched to McLaren for 2008 to achieve both a career-first pole position and race win. Following a difficult campaign this year, however, the Finn is pleased to be involved in a fresh challenge as he signs for the Malaysian-owned team.
"It's fantastic to be joining Lotus and I'm excited about the challenges which lie ahead," he said following the official confirmation on Monday. "I recently visited our factory in Norfolk and was so impressed by seeing how far the team has come in such a short time since it was launched in September - and by how determined everyone is to meet Tony's (Fernandes, Team Principal) ambitious targets. I knew immediately it would be a fantastic opportunity to help them achieve their goals.
"I believe that appointing two drivers with the experience Jarno and I have shows how determined the team is to go racing in a truly competitive way and our pairing sends out a very strong message to our competitors.
"I'm also excited to be part of a team that is not only bringing back the Lotus name, one of the most iconic teams in any form of global motorsport, but also doing so with the support and backing of Malaysia, a country I fell in love with when I first raced there in 2007. I can't wait to begin working with Tony, Mike and the team they are putting together and I'm really looking forward to seeing the welcome we'll be given by Formula 1 fans around the world as we bring Lotus F1 Racing to the grid."
Series
Formula 1
Personalities
Heikki Kovalainen
Teams
Caterham
Other
DTM Tickets (best price guarantee!) at Sportstadium.com
| Heikki Kovalainen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
| More Heikki Kovalainen photos | |||
English
Nederlands
Español
Italiano
