Q & A with Heikki Kovalainen

Heikki Kovalainen: Well, you almost answered the answered the question. I would not have come to a team if I did not think I had an equal chance to fight for the championship. With McLaren, I have that.

You do not know how the season is going to go, but at least to start with I have exactly the same opportunity as Lewis has, and it is up to me to build a relationship with the team and to make it as strong as I can. And we will see what happens. Absolutely, I have equal treatment.

Q. What are your feelings on the banning of driver aids? Some drivers say it will be too dangerous in the rain without traction control?

HK: I don't agree with that. I think F1 is already quite dangerous and without TC and without engine braking I think it is going to be a little more difficult, but all the drivers will adapt to it reasonably fast. I don't think it will make a big difference even for the results.

Maybe we will see some more mistakes, because it is easier to make a mistake with the car, but apart from that I don't think it will change that much.

Q. How do you like your new teammate?

HK: Surely we are very competitive and I will do everything to beat Lewis on the track. It will not be very easy as he had a great season last year, and he showed that he can win a championship. But I work with my crew and the team as much as I can to beat him, and he will do the same.

At the end of the day, whatever happens in the races I think we can laugh about it off the track. As he has said, we need to bring the team forward and push the team forward together. And that is what we try to do. We must not forget Pedro (de la Rosa) and Gary (Paffett), who are a help for our team as well.

I get on very well with Lewis, I have known him and his family for many years since go-kart days. I think we will push each other, but we can also push the team forward and we won't have any problem.

Q. Lewis has known the team for 10 years. How much of a disadvantage do you think it will be for you to get up to speed, and how soon do you think you can get up to speed and know everyone in the team?

HK: Well, that is obviously something I need to work on over this period of time between now and Melbourne. To be honest I already started it the day I signed the contract. The next day I was in the factory, going around and getting to know everybody and how the team works.

It is something I need to focus on a bit more than Lewis. He is already on autopilot, as he knows already how the team works. I need to find my way there, but I just have to work harder so by the time I get to Melbourne and the first few races, I should be up to speed and fully integrated into the team. The guys have welcomed me very well, so so far it has been very easy to be honest.