Q & A with Heikki Kovalainen

Heikki Kovalainen: To be honest, I didn't know it was him until after the race. I didn't feel anything and that is why I was surprised I got a call from the team saying that I had a puncture in the left rear tyre.

At that point I didn't notice anything, but towards the end of the lap behind the safety car I could feel the thing. But what could I do? It is one of those things that can happen and I cannot do anything about it any more.

Q. Did you say anything to him afterwards?

HK: No. There was nothing to say. It was not his fault, it wasn't anyone's fault - it was just one of those things. At the start everyone is close together and there wasn't enough room for everybody - Robert (Kubica) was on the outside, I was in the middle and Kimi was on the inside. And there was nothing else we could have done - it was unfortunate.

Q. Did you feel you had a good race after that?

HK: Well, I guess it was good. But it is difficult behind the other cars. It is difficult to overtake and the further up the grid you go, the more difficult it becomes to overtake people. It is frustrating but I tried everything to see if something could come out of it - if some people fell out or there were safety cars or something. But it didn't work out very well.

Q. Do you share the view of Martin Whitmarsh that the win was yours bar that puncture?

HK: I don't want to speculate on it any more. Turkey has passed for me and I look forward to Monaco. I never ask myself the question, what might have happened? I don't think about it. Two hours after the race I was focusing on Monaco - it is the only way.

Q. So what have you been doing in-between Turkey and Monaco?

HK: Just a little bit of fitness training, and then I did a little bit of work back in Woking earlier this week with the simulator and getting ready for this weekend - nothing special, just normal preparation.

Q. Coming into this weekend, Ferrari haven't won since 2001 so McLaren would appear to have a great chance. How do you feel about the race?

HK: Historically it has been a strong race for McLaren but I don't think it helps us - it is something we shouldn't rely on too much. We have seen already that things can change very fast (in F1) - Ferrari have improved and other people have improved. Although we feel confident coming here, especially after the Turkey race where the pace was very good compared to Ferrari so hopefully we made a step forward there, we will see how it goes here. We need to do a couple of practice sessions and then see how it looks.

Q. Do you like racing here in Monaco?

HK: Yeah, absolutely. I've been here two times, once with GP2 and last year with Renault - it is a special circuit, very difficult, but fun. And you need to stay away from the barriers.

Q. What is the secret to this track?

HK: It is to make sure you don't go over the limit too early with all the laps in the practice session. It is like putting money in the bank - it is all a bonus. And then trying to wind up more in qualifying. Then in the race you have to try and attack but not make a mistake. So maybe rather than going in the first practice session and braking as late as possible, and going further and further until you miss the apex, you cannot really do it here. So you build it up little by little.

Q. Is it all about qualifying here?

HK: A very important part is Saturday, and I think unless something very different happens in the race you won't have the possibility to overtake. Some of the strategy issues, they might be worth a position on Sunday, but qualifying is so crucial. It is so tricky to get it right. There is a lot of traffic, and there can be yellow flags and many things that can ruin the whole weekend. So it is just trying to find the best slot, and hope you qualify well. If not, then you have to try on Sunday and see what happens.

Q. Prior to the start off the season the team believed it would take you until mid-season to be fully up to speed and at the same level as Lewis Hamilton. But it seems straight away from Australia you have been there. Do you feel that you were at the limit straight away, or that you are still actually improving all the time?

HK: I am sure there is more to come, and I am improving more and more. It has been surprisingly good since the beginning of the season, but I think I can do better. I am sure I can do better. That is our target and that is what we are still working on, trying to improve the performance all the time.

Q. Do you feel comfortable in the team, with the set-up of the car and the way things operate?

HK: Yeah. I am very, very happy working here, and I know a lot more now than what I did at the beginning of the year - like how things operate, and how the race weekends go. There will be more to come, that is for sure, but it is little by little. To be honest I was surprised over the winter how I got used to this car and used to this team - it is my type of environment here. I feel I have settled in here very well.

Q. One of the advantages Lewis had last year against Fernando Alonso was that there was no expectation on him. Do you think that is the same case for you, that you are benefiting from the fact that if you do well it impresses people, and if you don't it's not unexpected?

HK: It is no different to me. I put myself under a lot of pressure, even if teams aren't doing a good enough job. If I feel I didn't do the maximum job then I will kick myself, so I don't think it makes a massive difference.