Q & A with Heikki Kovalainen

Heikki Kovalainen is gearing up for this weekend's European Grand Prix at Valencia, which follows his maiden Formula One victory at the Hungaroring three weeks ago.

The Finn is eager to add to his tally as quickly as possible and autosport.com heard what he had to say to the press in Valencia this afternoon.

Q. Going back to the last race in Hungary, a few weeks on how do you feel?

Heikki Kovalainen: "Well, of course it was a great feeling to win a grand prix and I think the last few races, realistically, I have targeted the victory. I feel I am ready for achieving that, and to achieve that was a good feeling.

"Now it is back to basics, starting all over again. We will try to repeat it, and every time try to maximise the points from the weekend."

Q. Did anything change in you even afterwards, did you have a big party?

HK: "No, I didn't have a big party. I got back home on the same evening and I went to do some fitness tests at the beginning of the holiday, and then spent some time with my family and friends. But no big party to celebrate the victory, just a coffee with my family, including my grandmother and grandfather. That was all."

Q. So nothing changes at all? You've just won a grand prix.

HK: "Yes, but like I said it is something I have been targeting for a long time. It is just part of the target. Now we need to raise the bar and try and repeat it again. It is really not such a big deal."

Q. Now we are here in Valencia at a new track, how do you approach something like this?

HK: "Obviously a new circuit, it is a little bit tricky to build big expectations because you don't know what it is going to be like. It's a street circuit, and the only thing we know is how it is in Monte Carlo. This has very different characteristics, it has longer straights and more high speed corners. All we can do is walk around the track. We tried it in the simulator back in Woking as well, and the most important thing is to go out tomorrow and see how it goes."

Q. Do you like it so far?

HK: "Yeah, it looks exciting, pretty cool. I'm looking forward to driving it. There are some very difficult sections and some bits that are hard on the brakes. And the high speed corners are going to be interesting."

Q. It is very green at the moment, so in first practice do you take it easy or do you push straight away?

HK: "I try to approach it like I always approach the street circuits. It is going to be very green so maybe less attack than what you would do on a normal road course. Then I will just try and build it up so the last run in qualifying is maximum attack."

Q. Are there any worries about the safety of the track?

HK: "No, no particular corners that I am worried about. They are all challenging and all are difficult, with some hard braking where there is a lot of time to be had. The last sector has a lot of high speed changes of direction, and the braking into the last two corners is quite tricky. You need to brake while changing direction so it will be quite difficult and quite easy to spoil a good lap right at the end of it."

Q. There have been some concerns about the gap in the asphalt at the bridge, and the fact that the two bits are not level. Does that worry you?

HK: "I walked around the track today and I thought it looked alright to be honest. I saw a road car going past me while I was there and it looked like it didn't do anything to it. Obviously for us it will be a bit of a bigger effect, but I don't think it will be a big problem."

Q. Some drivers, like Mika Hakkinen and Nigel Mansell, when they won their first race, something changed inside them and they suddenly went on to win another 20. Do you feel that that might happen to you?

HK: "If it happened that I now won 20 races in a row, it would be pretty cool I think, pretty extraordinary. I don't feel that I have changed but now, like I said, I have been targeting this victory for the last couple of months and we could have done it before.

"All the ingredients were there to make it happen and I don't really need to worry about when it was going to happen. Now I just have to try and repeat it again."

Q. Is it a help that you don't have to worry about it, that the monkey is off your back?

HK: "I didn't feel that I had a monkey on my back at any point. I didn't get stressed about it. It was going to happen and it was just a matter of time in my opinion. In that way, I don't feel that it has made a big difference in terms of feeling easier, it is just the same."

Q. The team have talked a lot about how much you have improved over the season, your preparation, your driving, and your fitness. Do you feel different now to 12 months ago, or even the start of the year?

HK: "A little bit. I certainly feel stronger in every area. I feel I am driving better, I'm feeling easier in the car, I'm working well with the engineers. The whole package has come on a long way and I need to carry on this trend. And eventually it will be good."

Q. Do you still feel you are on a sharp upward trajectory?

HK: "Yes. I think I am learning all the time. I@m expecting to improve the results from now on. Hopefully we don't get any set backs like we had earlier this year. Hopefully we can get a good trend now, and hopefully we can maximise the points each weekend without any incidents. That would be good."

Q. In terms of this year's world championship, which two Ferrari drivers do you see as the main threat?

HK: "I think they are both strong. I don't know which one is stronger."

Q. Were you surprised by Felipe Massa's driving at the start in Hungary?

HK: "No, I was surprised that his start was so good, even compared to Lewis. But apart from that, no. He is a fighter and going into the first corner, if you have a chance to take the lead then all the drivers in a top car will always have a go. It worked for him this time and I wasn't surprised."

Q. There seems to be a lot of debate about Felipe's qualities as a driver. Do you view him as world champion material?

HK: "Yeah, I think so. He has won grands prix this year and he came back after a difficult start to the season, so I don't see why not. I think he has as good a chance as anyone there at the top."

Q. You've slotted in well with McLaren. What is it about the atmosphere or the support system they have that you really like?

HK: "I am happy to work all the time with my engineers. We go through and analyse very thoroughly everything we've done, and all the problems we've had, to try and understand them and move on. I don't feel any need to show to anyone what I can do. I feel they know what I can do, they know the potential and they are waiting just for things to come together.

"So I feel 100 per cent commitment from the team, not only from the managers but also from the engineers, the mechanics, and everyone back in Woking. Also, from Mercedes-Benz. I feel very happy here. I enjoy working here, I can say what I think and I can improve. I feel I am improving all the time."

Q. How do you balance your desire to win some more grands prix and also help Lewis Hamilton to win the world championship?

HK: "The desire to win more grands prix is 100 per cent. And to help Lewis? All I can say is that I don't think he needs any help, to be honest. I think he can be strong enough to win races for himself, certainly I am not planning to help him.

"If I have the chance to win I will go for it. I am still trying to improve my position in the championship and that is also the message from the team. I don't need to help anyone. The bottom line is that he doesn't need any help, he is strong enough to do it for himself."