Kovalainen admits to poor showing

"This may have been my Grand Prix debut, but to be honest, there is very little to remember from it - and lots to forget," said the Finn after finishing in 10th position.

"I didn't have a great race: there were too many mistakes, and my performance just wasn't controlled enough," Kovalainen, who survived a high-speed spin during the race, added.

"I had hoped to be able to move up through the field and gain positions. Straight away from the start, though, I was struggling even to hold on to other cars."

Kovalainen was criticised by team boss Flavio Briatore after the race, the Italian describing the Finn's Grand Prix as "horrible".

The rookie is now looking forward to the next race, which he believes can't go any worse.

"My feeling right now is that the next race cannot get a lot worse," he said. "But I will stay positive, work hard and try to make sure I have a better weekend in Malaysia.

"I will be driving all three days of the Sepang test in ten days' time, which will help me learn the circuit and give me a good starting point for the race weekend. Then, my objective will be to improve in every area for my second Grand Prix."