Brazilian GP: Kovalainen blames poor start for disappointing result
Heikki Kovalainen has blamed his failure to get the start right for his disappointing result in the Brazilian Grand Prix
The Finn fell from 11th to 15th on the first lap, then dropped behind Pastor Maldonado, Sergio Perez and Paul di Resta on lap two to run 18th, partly as a result of struggling with tyre temperature.
He went on to finish a lapped 14th and while he was satisfied with his performance during practice and qualifying, he was not pleased with how the race went.
"The disappointing was just Sunday, because the rest was OK," Kovalainen told AUTOSPORT.
"Yesterday, in qualifying, it was not perfect but it was not a disaster.
"Today, again, I struggled at the start because I couldn't get the procedure right and I was straight away on the back foot.
"After that, we had to gamble a little bit, stopping a little bit early to try to jump some cars but the start was the big issue today."
Kovalainen, replacing Kimi Raikkonen in the final two races of the season, also made a bad start from eighth on the grid in last week's United States GP, falling from eighth to 12th.
But after working hard on the procedures since then, he did not expect the same problem at Interlagos.
"I had some troubles at Austin with the start and we have done a lot of work this week trying to make sure that the start was good and I still struggled with that, so it was disappointing.
"The reaction time in Austin was only because I was out of synch with the launch procedure and was still pressing buttons when everybody went.
"This time, I gave myself more time to get everything right but I still didn't get the settings correct for the start."
The Finn failed to score any points as Raikkonen's stand-in, and Lotus finished the season in fourth place in the constructors' championship.
Lotus' third driver Davide Valsecchi, who believed he would land the seat before it was handed to Kovalainen, said on Twitter right after the race that he was disappointed he had not been picked.
"I told to Lotus that was better to choose my heart and my motivation than the experience of Kova," he wrote. "I'm really sorry they didn't do it."
Brazilian GP race quotes: Ferrari
Brazilian GP: Safety car fear caused Red Bull's pitstop drama
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...
The breakthrough behind Sainz’s best weekend of F1 2022 so far
OPINION: Carlos Sainz came close to winning in Monaco but needed that race’s specific circumstances for his shot at a maiden Formula 1 victory to appear. Last weekend in Canada, he led the line for Ferrari in Charles Leclerc’s absence from the front. And there’s a key reason why Sainz has turned his 2022 form around
Canadian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
Plenty of high scores but just a single perfect 10 from the first Montreal race in three years, as Max Verstappen fended off late pressure from Carlos Sainz. Here’s Autosport’s assessment on the Formula 1 drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix
Why “faster” Ferrari couldn’t beat Red Bull in Canadian GP
On paper the Canadian Grand Prix will go down as Max Verstappen’s latest triumph, fending off late pressure from Carlos Sainz to extend his Formula 1 world championship lead. But as safety car periods, virtual and real, shook up the race Ferrari demonstrated it can take the fight to Red Bull after recent failures
The in-demand helmet designer creating works of art for F1's best
GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV pays a visit to designer Jens Munser, to observe the production of Mick Schumacher’s special helmet for the Miami Grand Prix. What follows is some fascinating insight on the mindsets of Mick’s dad Michael, and family friend Sebastian Vettel