Kovalainen to Replace Räikkönen for the rest of 2013
Tagged: 2013, Heikki Kovalainen, kimi raikkonen, Lotus
- This topic has 22 replies, 21 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 6 months ago by
Prisoner Monkeys.
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13th November 2013, 13:26 at 1:26 pm #133894
RetardedF1sh
ParticipantThere have been some rumours that Heikki Kovalainen might be replacing Kimi Räikkönen for the two remaining races and just recently the finnish website MTV Sport unofficially confirmed it. Do you think it will happen? If it does, is it the right choice? And if it doesn’t, then who should they take instead?
13th November 2013, 13:38 at 1:38 pm #245056Diceman
ParticipantWell, if it’s true, I’m very glad for Heikki. But I’m not sure if it’s really the right choice, but who knows.
Here is the link for the news from MTV Sport (in Finnish, unfortunately)
http://www.mtv.fi/sport/f1/uutiset.shtml/2013/11/1831578/kovalainen-korvaa-raikkosen-lotuksella13th November 2013, 13:56 at 1:56 pm #245057magon4
ParticipantI’m very pleased he will be back! This makes the whole weekend interesting!!! It’s gonna be a hell of a race & quali! Even Friday training will be worth watching live!
13th November 2013, 14:07 at 2:07 pm #245058Meander
ParticipantMeh. Will wait for confirmation before I buy this. If true it’s a very uninspired choice, but maybe a safe bet.
13th November 2013, 14:27 at 2:27 pm #245060Funkyf1
ParticipantIt’s true Lotus want him, be he has to be released from Caterham. I can’t see that being an issue, maybe even pushed by Renault. But time is running out Davide still might get the drive.
13th November 2013, 14:37 at 2:37 pm #245061magon4
ParticipantHis wife or sister tweeted it. I think that is a pretty good source.
13th November 2013, 15:08 at 3:08 pm #245062Lucas Wilson
ParticipantWhy oh why, out of all the drivers. Does every cloud have a Kovalinen?
13th November 2013, 15:13 at 3:13 pm #245063JackySteeg
ParticipantPoor Davide must be wondering what he has to do to race in F1… it would be quite a disappointing (and dull) decision by Lotus, really. I would’ve much preferred them to take a risk on an unknown quantity like Valsecchi, or even one of this year’s GP2 stars. Picking a driver who we already know is good-but-not-great just isn’t very exciting.
13th November 2013, 15:42 at 3:42 pm #245064Force Maikel
Participant@H_Kovalainen is so back in business!!! So happy, so proud and so excited! #F1 #lotusF1
— Sanna Kovalainen (@SannaKov) November 13, 2013
As good as an official conformation I guess
13th November 2013, 16:06 at 4:06 pm #245065MazdaChris
ParticipantThey’re reporting it on Autosport so you can consider it a pretty safe bet
13th November 2013, 16:47 at 4:47 pm #245066electrolite
ParticipantIt’s disappointing for Valsecchi if this is true, because there’s no reason he shouldn’t be given a chance. But the circumstances just aren’t right for Lotus to do that. Lotus are fighting for 2nd or 3rd in the Constructors, and from the outset, Kovaleinen looks the best bet to bring home points alongside Grosjean. Hulk would have more than likely done a better job, but he’s tied to Sauber, and if he is staying for 2014, then that’d be awkward when he gets back to Hinwil…
But the proof shall be in the pudding. We know Grosjean is just as good and sometimes even better than Raikkonen when he’s on form, but whether Kovaleinen is, I highly, highly doubt.
13th November 2013, 16:55 at 4:55 pm #245067JamieFranklinF1
ParticipantIf this is true, which it looks set to be, I’m quite disappointed. As nice of a guy as Kovaleinen is, I think there are other people that deserve a shot. Specifically, Valsecchi has been waiting in the wings for something like this, and they pass him up? It’s a little bit of a kick in the teeth for him. Obviously, I can understand that Lotus want someone who can deliver points, but who’s to say that Kovaleinen will suit the car any better?
13th November 2013, 17:00 at 5:00 pm #245068Ed Marques
ParticipantLotus is right. They need points and it’s more likely that Heikki could get them than Valsecchi.
13th November 2013, 17:35 at 5:35 pm #245069AdrianMorse
ParticipantThe reserve driver role is a complete joke these days. Valsecchi has just spent a whole year on the sidelines for nothing. I don’t know whether he had any other options for 2013, but they would have been better than this.
If you look purely from a performance point of view, then I understand Lotus’ decision, and anyway I’m looking forward to seeing what Kovalainen can do in the car. Short of bringing in Vettel, though (and why not, it’s not like he or Red Bull needs the points…) I suspect anyone stepping into that seat will struggle to get into the top 5 in normal conditions. However, if the probability of gaining 3rd in the championship is very small regardless of who they put into the car, then it’s not worth treating your reserve driver this way.
13th November 2013, 17:59 at 5:59 pm #245070Iestyn Davies
ParticipantHeikki drove for them in 2007, so they know how good he is, compared to Fisichella, Alonso, Kubica and Raikkonen (and the test drivers). That he got screwed over as McLaren’s second driver after that is irrelevant to them.
Reports are that Valsecchi is as old-school as I thought he might be – he needs solid seat time and not simulator time to get up to speed. Very hard for him to do that in the current formula. Anyone who gets nausea/migraines from being in a sim is hugely disadvantaged after the testing ban (Schumi had this as well, and hence was poor in 2010). Magnussen is beating Perez in the sim and hence McLaren will throw him right in as a replacement.
Lotus really need that extra $7.5m/$17.5m for 3rd or 2nd in the constructors. That it could come down to a few team strategy blunders is very disappointing for them in the least.. especially if it stops them hiring Hulkenberg for 2014. Ferrari get an extra $17.5m on top anyway for being Ferrari, but that won’t stop them making sure Kimi or Hulk don’t drive for Lotus, if it means any chance of them losing 3rd place and the loss of pride/face that that would entail (only once in the last twenty years have Ferrari come 4th).
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