Kovalainen calm about his F1 future

Although the Finn shone in his debut campaign for the French car manufacturer, his chances of remaining at the team appear to hinge on if the team are successful in securing the services of Fernando Alonso.

Should Alonso agree a deal, then it is thought more likely that Nelson Piquet Jr. will be drafted in alongside him to help play a supporting role in 2008.

But with Alonso and Renault's talks having so far not reached fruition, Kovalainen has been left waiting - and runs the risk of missing out on a seat completely if he is told too late that he is no longer needed at the team.

However, speaking to autosport.com, Kovalainen made it clear that he is calm about his future prospect, and says he already has an attractive option elsewhere if Renault do not want him.

"There's no more news," he said when asked about his future. "We have to look at the situation very carefully and, if Renault don't want to commit to the future with myself, then I must look to another option.

"And I have another very competitive option, so we are looking now very carefully. I'd have liked it to have it all done already, but it's taken time. Renault have not confirmed anything yet, so whether they want to continue with me or not I am not sure. So we need to look carefully."

It is not clear who the other option is with, but it has been rumoured for several weeks that Kovalainen could be a strong contender for the second race seat at McLaren if he is released from his ties at Renault.

Kovalainen took his maiden podium finish in the wet Japanese Grand Prix after showing a step forward in performance following a shaky start to the 2007 season.