Heikki Kovalainen

1. Early Life and Junior Career

Heikki Kovalainen's early life was centered in Suomussalmi, Finland, where he began his motorsport journey in kart racing in 1991. His progression through junior categories laid a strong foundation for his professional career, demonstrating consistent performance and earning accolades before his entry into Formula One.

### Early Background and Karting ===
Kovalainen's karting career spanned from 1991 to 2000. During this period, he achieved significant results, finishing as runner-up in the Finnish Formula A championship in both 1999 and 2000. In 2000, he secured victories in the Nordic championship and the Paris-Bercy Elf Masters event. He also placed third in the World Formula Super A Championship, which led to him being recognized as the Finnish Kart Driver of the Year. In the CIK-FIA World Cup Shell Advance Kart Race FSA class held at Twin Ring Motegi's north short course, he finished fourth. Notably, in the same event, Vitantonio Liuzzi finished second in FSA, while Lewis Hamilton won the FA class and Nico Rosberg placed ninth.

### Junior Formula Series ===
Kovalainen's transition to junior single-seater series began in 2001, where he quickly demonstrated his talent. He consistently utilized Renault power throughout his junior formula career.

In 2001, he competed in the British Formula Renault Championship, following fellow Finn Kimi Räikkönen who had won the series in 2000 before moving to Formula One. Kovalainen finished fourth in the championship, securing two wins, two pole positions, five podiums, and three fastest laps, earning him the Rookie of the Year award. He also participated in the Formula Three Macau Grand Prix, where he finished eighth.

He then moved to the British Formula 3 Championship in 2002 with Fortec Motorsport, using Renault engines and attracting support from the Renault Driver Development program. He became highly competitive in the second half of the season, winning five of his total five races in the final nine rounds. With three pole positions and three fastest laps, he finished third overall in the championship behind Robbie Kerr and James Courtney, and was again named Rookie of the Year. He also showed strong form in international non-championship races, securing second place in Macau and fourth at the Marlboro Masters at Zandvoort.

From 2003, Kovalainen competed in the Renault-owned World Series by Nissan. In 2003, as part of the Gabord team, he faced a strong teammate in Franck Montagny, who had already won the 2001 championship. Montagny dominated that year with nine wins, while Kovalainen secured one victory but consistently scored points, finishing second overall, surpassing Bas Leinders and Narain Karthikeyan. In 2004, he moved to Pons Racing within the same series and won the championship with 192 points and six wins, ahead of Tiago Monteiro. His championship win, coupled with Kimi Räikkönen's seventh place in Formula One and Marcus Grönholm's fifth in the World Rally Championship, earned Kovalainen the Finnish Driver of the Year award in 2004.

In 2005, Kovalainen entered the GP2 Series, the new feeder series for Formula One. Driving for the Arden International team, he started strongly by winning the inaugural race in Imola and finishing third in the sprint race. He continued with a third consecutive podium in Barcelona but stalled on the grid in the sprint race. In Monaco, he achieved pole position, led for the first 21 laps, and set the fastest lap, but a pit stop issue dropped him to fifth. At the Nürburgring, he won from 17th on the grid. He also won from fourth on the grid at Magny-Cours and finished third in the sprint race. His main rival was Nico Rosberg from ART Grand Prix. Despite podiums and points finishes at Silverstone, Hockenheim, and Hungaroring, Kovalainen couldn't match Rosberg's pace. Engine problems in Istanbul led to a tenth-place finish in the feature race, but he won the wet sprint race. At Monza, he took his second pole and won the feature race, but a fifth in the sprint race left him only four points ahead of Rosberg with four races left. After a rain-affected weekend at Spa, Rosberg took the lead. Rosberg secured the championship in Bahrain, while Kovalainen finished third in the feature race and retired from the final sprint race, finishing runner-up by 15 points.

2. Formula One Career

Heikki Kovalainen's Formula One career spanned seven seasons, marked by his debut with Renault, a race victory with McLaren, and a challenging period with the newly established Team Lotus and Caterham teams.

### Renault F1 (2004-2007) ===
Kovalainen's journey into Formula One began with Renault F1. He participated in a test for the Renault R23B F1 car in December 2003 at Barcelona, alongside Franck Montagny and José María López. He also tested for Minardi, but Renault ultimately signed him as their second test driver alongside Montagny for 2004.

After Montagny left Renault at the end of 2005, Kovalainen was promoted to a full-time testing role for the 2006 season, accumulating over 17 K mile ^{(28.00 K km)} of testing. This extensive experience positioned him for a race seat.

On 6 September 2006, Renault confirmed Kovalainen would replace Fernando Alonso, who had moved to McLaren, for the 2007 season. Team boss Flavio Briatore famously stated his hope to find "the anti-Alonso" in Kovalainen.

Kovalainen made his Formula One race debut at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix, partnering Giancarlo Fisichella. His season started roughly, with several mistakes in Australia, finishing tenth. Briatore openly expressed disappointment. However, Kovalainen quickly recovered, scoring his first World Championship point in his second race at the 2007 Malaysian Grand Prix, followed by a ninth in Bahrain. He then secured seventh in Barcelona, notably outperforming teammate Fisichella.

His first half of the season was mixed, including a 13th in Monaco and a challenging 2007 Canadian Grand Prix where he crashed in qualifying, started 19th (due to engine change penalty), but recovered to fourth, pulling away from Kimi Räikkönen's Ferrari. This was a confidence booster. At the 2007 United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis, he qualified sixth and momentarily led the race during pit stops before finishing fifth.

The second half of the European season saw consistent points finishes, despite a collision with Jarno Trulli at the 2007 French Grand Prix which relegated him to 15th. He secured seventh at the British Grand Prix, eighth at the 2007 European Grand Prix (Nürburgring) and 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix (Hungaroring), and sixth in the 2007 Turkish Grand Prix, ahead of Robert Kubica. A seventh place at 2007 Italian Grand Prix (Monza) was a fair result. At the 2007 Belgian Grand Prix, a risky one-stop strategy didn't fully pay off, but he held off Kubica to secure the final points position.

His breakthrough came at the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji Speedway. Despite not making it to the final qualifying session, Kovalainen raced exceptionally well in hazardous wet conditions, avoiding the troubles faced by many rivals. He held off Kimi Räikkönen in the closing laps to secure second place, his first Formula One podium. This marked a historic moment as it was the first time two Finnish drivers stood on a Formula One podium.

After finishing ninth in the 2007 Chinese Grand Prix, Kovalainen started 17th in the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix due to a qualifying mistake. A collision with Ralf Schumacher forced an early pit stop, and on lap 36, a sudden rear suspension failure, possibly caused by the earlier contact, launched his car into the barriers. This was his only retirement of the season, ending his opportunity to be the first driver to finish all races in his debut season. At the time, he shared the record for most consecutive finishes from career start with Tiago Monteiro, both having completed 16 races, until Max Chilton surpassed it in 2013 and 2014.

### McLaren (2008-2009) ===
At the end of the 2007 season, with Fernando Alonso returning to Renault, Kovalainen received offers from Toyota and McLaren. On 14 December 2007, it was confirmed that Kovalainen would replace Alonso at McLaren for the 2008 season, partnering Lewis Hamilton. He became the fourth Finnish driver, after Keke Rosberg, Mika Häkkinen, and Kimi Räikkönen, to drive for McLaren.

#### 2008 ####

Kovalainen made his McLaren race debut at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix. He was fastest in the first qualifying session and started third. On the final lap of the race, after overtaking Fernando Alonso for fourth, he accidentally hit the pit lane limiter, allowing Alonso to reclaim the position. Kovalainen finished fifth but set the fastest lap of the race.

In the 2008 Malaysian Grand Prix, he was penalized five grid places for impeding Nick Heidfeld in qualifying, starting eighth, but finished third, securing a podium finish after issues for Hamilton and Felipe Massa. In the 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, he flat-spotted a tire on the first lap, leading to a drop in pace, but he recovered to set the fastest lap and finish fifth.

At the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Kovalainen had just taken the lead when his front-left tire suddenly deflated on lap 22, causing a severe 81 mph ^{(130 km/h)} crash into the tire barrier. The impact measured 26G. His car was almost completely buried, and the Safety Car was deployed. Kovalainen was safely extracted, giving a "thumbs-up" sign, and was taken to a hospital. He suffered a minor concussion, a sore elbow, and neck, and had no memory of the accident or giving the thumbs-up. The cause was later identified as a production error on the wheel rim. He was released from the hospital two days later and was fit to race in Turkey.

In the 2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Kovalainen's two-stop strategy contrasted with Hamilton's aggressive three-stop approach due to tire durability concerns. Kovalainen qualified second but suffered a puncture after contact with Kimi Räikkönen on the first corner, finishing 12th. Further disappointment followed in Monaco when a software glitch stalled his car on the grid. He started from the pit lane and managed to score a point by finishing eighth.

In 2008 Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal), Kovalainen struggled with rapid tire degradation compared to Hamilton, finishing ninth. He attributed this to his driving style. At the 2008 French Grand Prix, he started tenth after a five-place penalty for blocking Mark Webber, but impressively climbed to fourth.

At Silverstone, Kovalainen secured his first pole position and led for the first four laps before Hamilton overtook him. Despite two spins in wet conditions, he finished fifth, again reporting severe tire degradation problems, suggesting his driving style was too hard on the tires.

In the week leading up to the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren confirmed Kovalainen would stay for 2009. He went on to win his first and only Formula One race in Hungary, becoming the 100th driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix, after race leader Felipe Massa suffered an engine failure with three laps remaining. Kovalainen credited "somewhat radical changes to the set-up" for improving his tire management. He finished fourth in the following race in the 2008 European Grand Prix (Valencia), moving into the top five in the championship.

In September, Kovalainen explained his tire issues to Autosport, stating the problem stemmed from his different driving style compared to Hamilton, particularly his corner entry, braking, and acceleration techniques. While Hamilton employed a quicker, more aggressive style that preserved tires better, Kovalainen's softer approach led to increased wear. They had made progress by adjusting both the car and his driving style to better suit the McLaren MP4-23, which was harder on tires than the Renault, and the Bridgestones were less robust than the Michelins.

In Belgium, he qualified third but dropped eight places at the start. A collision with Mark Webber on lap ten resulted in a drive-through penalty, pushing him to 15th. He fought back to seventh but retired on the final lap due to a gearbox failure, losing points. At the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, he qualified second behind Sebastian Vettel in wet conditions but struggled with brake temperature issues, finishing second.

In the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, Kovalainen qualified fifth. He attempted to overtake Kubica for fourth at the start, but they made contact at Turn 3, dropping Kovalainen behind Glock and Vettel. During a Safety Car period, both McLarens pitted simultaneously, forcing Kovalainen to queue behind Hamilton, which dropped him to 14th. He ultimately finished tenth.

Prior to the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix, Kovalainen stated that the tire issues were resolved and his driving style was now very close to Hamilton's, as was his car setup. In Japan, he qualified third. During an initial tussle between Hamilton and Räikkönen, Kovalainen was pushed off track. While running third on lap 17, his car suffered an engine failure.

On his 27th birthday at the 2008 Chinese Grand Prix, he qualified fifth. During the race, his first set of front tires was incorrectly marked, leading to understeer. Mechanics tried to compensate by raising the front-wing angle during his pit stop, but with correctly marked tires, this now caused oversteer, possibly leading to a puncture on lap 35. He eventually retired on lap 49 due to a hydraulics problem. He finished seventh in the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, concluding his season in seventh place in the drivers' championship with 53 points.

#### 2009 ####

The 2009 season proved difficult for McLaren, as their new MP4-24 lacked competitiveness. Both Kovalainen and Hamilton failed to reach the top ten in qualifying for the first two races.

In the 2009 Australian Grand Prix, Kovalainen retired due to a collision with Mark Webber on the first corner, and in the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix, he spun off on the first lap while battling with Hamilton and Massa. He scored his first points of the season in the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix, finishing fifth. McLaren gradually developed the car, leading to improved results. Kovalainen finished eighth in the 2009 German Grand Prix, fifth in the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, and achieved his best result of the season, a fourth place, at the 2009 European Grand Prix in Valencia. He followed this with consecutive sixth-place finishes in the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix and 2009 Italian Grand Prix, and seventh in the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix. He concluded the season in 12th position with 22 points and five retirements. On 18 November, it was announced that recently crowned world champion Jenson Button would join McLaren as Hamilton's teammate, leaving Kovalainen without a Formula One drive for 2010.

### Lotus and Caterham (2010-2013) ===
After departing McLaren, Kovalainen moved to a new team in Formula One, embarking on a period with less competitive machinery.

#### 2010 ####

On 14 December 2009, it was announced that Kovalainen would drive for the newly created Lotus Racing in 2010, alongside Jarno Trulli, on a three-year contract. The team debuted at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix on 14 March. The car lacked downforce, leading to poor pre-season testing performance. Kovalainen finished 15th in the race, two laps down on the winner, Fernando Alonso.

His 2010 season was plagued by retirements and challenging performances due to the uncompetitive car. He retired from the Malaysian Grand Prix with 10 laps to go and failed to start in the 2010 Spanish Grand Prix due to gearbox problems. Steering issues led to retirement in the 2010 Monaco Grand Prix, and hydraulic problems in the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix. In the 2010 European Grand Prix (Valencia), Mark Webber's Red Bull collided with Kovalainen's Lotus, causing Webber to go airborne and both cars to retire. Kovalainen also retired in the 2010 German Grand Prix due to collision damage with Pedro de la Rosa.

A notable moment occurred at the 2010 Singapore Grand Prix when his car caught fire on the final lap after a collision. Kovalainen made the decision not to enter the pit lane but instead stopped his car on the side of the track and extinguished the blaze himself, an act that was met with applause from the crowd. This incident earned him the nickname "firefighter" among fans. Despite the car's poor performance, Kovalainen earned respect for consistently outperforming drivers in similarly uncompetitive cars. His best finish of the season was 12th at the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix. He finished 20th in the championship with no points.

#### 2011 ####

Kovalainen remained with Lotus for the 2011 season. At the season-opening 2011 Australian Grand Prix, he retired due to a water leak. He completed his first race of the season in the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix, finishing 15th, followed by 16th in the 2011 Chinese Grand Prix and 19th in the 2011 Turkish Grand Prix. He crashed out in the 2011 Spanish Grand Prix, having started 15th and outqualified the Force Indias. He finished 14th in the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix and 19th at the 2011 European Grand Prix, with further retirements in the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix and 2011 British Grand Prix.

Kovalainen finished 16th in the 2011 German Grand Prix, before another retirement due to a water leak in the 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix. He then completed the next five races, achieving his best finish of 13th at the Italian Grand Prix. He finished on the lead lap in 18th place at the Japanese Grand Prix and ahead of the Saubers of Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Pérez in the 2011 Korean Grand Prix, finishing 14th. In the 2011 Indian Grand Prix, he finished 14th again, running as high as tenth during the race. Throughout the season, Kovalainen outqualified teammates Trulli and Karun Chandhok in 17 of the 19 races. Team Lotus principal Tony Fernandes expressed satisfaction with Kovalainen's performance, and Kovalainen himself stated it was his "best season in motorsport career" towards the end of the year, despite finishing 22nd in the drivers' standings with no points.

#### 2012 ####

Kovalainen was retained by the team for a third year, renamed Caterham F1 for 2012, partnering Vitaly Petrov. This season was more stable, as Kovalainen finished all races except the opening 2012 Australian Grand Prix. The team also incorporated KERS for the first time. He made it to Q2 in the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix and briefly ran fifth in the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix due to pit stop timing. In Monaco, he qualified 18th, just 0.047 s from Q2, and held off Jenson Button for a significant period in the race. Despite contact with Sergio Pérez, he finished 13th, his best result of the season. He concluded the season 22nd in the championship, again without scoring points.

#### 2013 ####

For the 2013 season, Kovalainen and Petrov were replaced by Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde due to Caterham's decision to employ "pay drivers." However, Kovalainen maintained a good relationship with Caterham and returned as a reserve driver in April, replacing Ma Qing Hua and alongside Alexander Rossi. In this role, he participated in several first free practice sessions, including in Bahrain, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Japan, and Abu Dhabi.

On 14 November 2013, the Lotus F1 Team confirmed that Kovalainen would stand in for the injured Kimi Räikkönen for the final two races of the season, the 2013 United States Grand Prix and the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix. Kovalainen finished 14th in both races.

### Post-Formula One Assessment ===
After his full-time Formula One career ended in 2013, Kovalainen explored other racing avenues. In August 2014, he completed a test for the BMW Motorsport DTM team with a BMW M4 DTM.

In August 2020, Formula One, in partnership with Amazon Web Services and machine learning, ranked Kovalainen as the eighth fastest Formula One driver in qualifying from 1983 to 2020. This assessment used an algorithm to compare each driver's performance against their teammates, aiming to identify the fastest drivers in F1 qualifying sessions.

3. Other Motorsport Activities

Heikki Kovalainen's racing career extends beyond Formula One, with notable successes in various motorsport disciplines.

### Race of Champions ===

Kovalainen participated in the Race of Champions multiple times, beginning with the 2004 event at the Stade de France in Paris. In the individual "Champion of Champions" category, he defeated Formula One drivers David Coulthard and Jean Alesi in the first two rounds. In the semi-finals, he notably beat seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher driving a Ferrari 360 Modena. He then went on to win the finals against World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb, using both the Ferrari and a Peugeot 307 WRC car, despite having no prior experience in a rally car. This victory made him the first non-rally driver to win the "Henri Toivonen Memorial Trophy" and earn the "Champion of Champions" title. He also competed in the Nations Cup alongside fellow Finn Marcus Grönholm, where they finished second, losing to the French team of Loeb and Alesi after Kovalainen's Ferrari 360 Modena broke down.

He returned to the Race of Champions in 2005, defeating Bernd Schneider and Felipe Massa, but was eliminated in the semi-finals by Tom Kristensen. In 2006, Kovalainen and Grönholm won the Nations Cup, narrowly beating Mattias Ekström by 0.0002 seconds in the individual event semi-final. In 2007, they again reached the Nations Cup final, losing to the German team of Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel. Kovalainen defeated Vettel in the individual race but crashed on the finish line against Andy Priaulx, losing the round. He participated again in 2010 but withdrew after suffering a concussion in a crash during a heat race against Sébastien Loeb.

### Super GT ===
In 2015, Kovalainen moved to Japan to compete in the Super GT series, driving in the GT500 class for Team SARD with Kohei Hirate. In his first season, he drove the Lexus RC F GT500 and finished 13th with 23 points.

The following year, in the 2016 season, Kovalainen and Hirate won the Super GT championship. They entered the final double-header at Twin Ring Motegi in fourth place in the standings. They secured pole position for the first of the two races and led for most of it before finishing second. In the final round, they clinched their only win of the season to secure the title. This championship marked Kovalainen's first major title since winning the World Series by Nissan in 2004.

He continued to compete in the GT500 class for Team SARD, driving a Lexus LC500 in 2017 and 2018. In 2017, he won one race at Sportsland SUGO and finished eighth overall with 44 points. In 2018, his teammate was Kamui Kobayashi, and Kovalainen secured a second-place finish at Fuji and a win in Thailand, accumulating 42 points. In 2019, partnered with Yuichi Nakayama, he won one race at Autopolis and finished fifth overall with 44 points. In 2020, with the team using the Toyota GR Supra GT500, Kovalainen won a race at Fuji and finished 11th overall with 31 points. After the 2021 season, in which he finished 13th with 34 points, Kovalainen announced his retirement from the series. He cited strict entry restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the desire to spend more time with his family as key reasons for his departure from Japanese racing activities.

### Rallying ===

Like many of his compatriots, Kovalainen developed a strong interest in rallying, describing it as a "childhood dream." An initial plan to contest the Arctic Rally in 2009 after his McLaren contract allowed it, driving a Proton Satria Neo S2000, did not materialize due to lack of preparation time. However, he made his actual rallying debut at the same Arctic Rally five years later in 2015, finishing third in his class.

Kovalainen's first foray into Japanese rallying came in 2016, entering four events of the Japan Rally Championship (JRC) with co-driver Sae Kitagawa in a Toyota GT86 CS-R3 for a joint team of SARD and R-ACE. He retired in Hokkaido but finished second in class at the Shinshiro Rally. He returned to the JRC in 2018 with the same car and co-driver, competing part-time for Rally Team AICELLO. He also tested Esapekka Lappi's Toyota Yaris WRC. In 2019, he competed in the Japan Super Rally Series and achieved his first JRC class victory in the JN2 class at the Highland Masters Rally. He also won a stage at the Monterey Rally, surpassing faster four-wheel-drive cars. In 2020, his JRC plans were halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but he competed in and won the Chūbu-Kinki Rally.

In 2021, Kovalainen returned to the JRC's JN2 class full-time with Kitagawa and dominated the championship, achieving class victories in all six races and securing the title with a round to spare. He also won the Central Rally, a rehearsal event for Rally Japan, making it a season where he won every rally he entered. In 2022, he stepped up to the JN1 class in the JRC with Rally Team AICELLO, driving a Škoda Fabia R5. He continued his dominance, winning the opening Shinshiro Rally with all fastest stages. He secured the overall JRC championship with two rounds remaining, becoming the first foreign, F1-experienced, F1 winner, and Super GT champion to win the overall JRC title. He also made his World Rally Championship (WRC) debut at the 2022 Rally Japan, finishing tenth overall and fourth in the WRC2 class, competing against newer cars.

In March 2024, Kovalainen announced a temporary suspension of his rallying activities after being diagnosed with an ascending aortic aneurysm during a health check. While not life-threatening for daily activities, the condition posed risks during the physical demands of rallying. He underwent successful surgery at Tampere University Hospital in Finland in April 2024 and was discharged. He made his return to the JRC at the ARK Rally Kamuy in July 2024. For 2024, he plans to switch to the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

### Endurance and Electric Car Racing ===
Kovalainen had planned to compete in the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans in the #72 Porsche 911 RSR-19 for HubAuto Racing, alongside Nick Cassidy and Dries Vanthoor. However, a scheduling conflict caused by the rescheduling of the Suzuka round of the 2021 Super GT Series prevented him and Cassidy from attending. They were replaced by Álvaro Parente and Maxime Martin. Despite this, Kovalainen expressed openness to future Le Mans opportunities, though the Japan Rally Championship remained his priority.

In 2023, Kovalainen made his debut in the Extreme E Championship for JBXE, partnering with Hedda Hosås. He participated in two rounds before being replaced by Andreas Bakkerud.

4. Personal Life

Heikki Kovalainen married his English girlfriend, Catherine Hyde, in 2014, after a relationship that began in 2002. They reside in Coppet, Switzerland. In June 2023, they welcomed their first child, a son.

In his free time, Kovalainen enjoys playing the drums and golf. He has been playing drums since childhood and has improved his golf skills to a single-handicap player, often playing rounds before and after rally events. He is also a fan of heavy metal music, with Finnish band Nightwish being a favorite.

5. Key Career Moments and Legacy

Throughout his career, Heikki Kovalainen has been involved in several memorable incidents and achieved significant milestones that define his legacy in motorsport.

One notable moment occurred at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix. Towards the end of the race, after a fierce battle for fourth place with Fernando Alonso, Kovalainen successfully overtook him. However, on the very next straight, he accidentally misoperated his speed limiter, causing his car to slow down significantly and allowing Alonso to retake the position. This unexpected error, according to Ferrari's test driver Marc Gené, highlighted a surprising lack of prevention measures in McLaren's systems.

His victory at the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix, where he inherited the lead after Felipe Massa's engine failed with just three laps remaining, was a landmark achievement. This win made him the 100th driver in Formula One history to win a Grand Prix.

At the 2010 Singapore Grand Prix, Kovalainen's car caught fire from the airbox after a late-race contact. Instead of heading to the pits, he stopped his burning car on the home straight and personally tackled the blaze with a fire extinguisher. This dramatic act, captured on international television, earned him the affectionate nickname "firefighter" (or "Fireman") among fans. Although some initially criticized the decision to stop on track, many lauded his quick thinking and courage in prioritizing safety, as the pit lane was crowded with personnel. The photo of this incident was later awarded the "LG Moment of the Year" by Autosport, as voted by fans.

Kovalainen also holds the record for the most consecutive non-points finishes in Formula One history, with a streak of 62 races without scoring points after his seventh-place finish at the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix until his final F1 race in 2013.

He has a noted disliking for the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, having suffered four consecutive retirements there, including his major crash in 2008, before finally finishing a race in 2012.

Kovalainen was initially managed by Flavio Briatore, who was then the team principal at Renault F1 when Kovalainen started his F1 career. This management relationship continued for a period even after Kovalainen moved to McLaren. However, following the "Crashgate" scandal at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, Briatore's management involvement with Kovalainen ceased, and Kovalainen subsequently managed his career independently.

Kovalainen has expressed a strong affinity for rally racing since childhood, even before his Formula One dreams solidified. He recounted being thrilled to get autographs from WRC stars like Juha Kankkunen, Carlos Sainz, and Colin McRae at the Rally Finland when he was about 10 years old. His favorite Japanese food is Tonkatsu.

6. Racing Record

### Career summary ===

### Complete Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship results ===
(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

### Complete British Formula 3 results ===
(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

### Complete World Series by Nissan results ===
(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

### Complete GP2 Series results ===
(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

### Complete Formula One results ===
(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

^† Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.

### Complete Super GT results ===
(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

### World Rally Championship results ===