How is he getting away with it?

[pettersolberg29]

For the past few weeks I've heard some drivers being slaughtered for their performances - namely Heidfeld and Massa - yet these two are not doing a bad job and Massa could still win the WDC and Heidfeld finish 'best of the rest'.

What I cannot believe is that nowhere is their any criticism of the driver who is underperforming most this season - Kovalainen. Yes he has been unlucky - but you make your own luck. He has only one podium this year despite being in arguably the best car on the grid.

Maybe I'm being harsh, but does anyone else think that Kubica might replace him at McLaren next year? Lewis likes him so maybe a good team there and Heikki could BMW's number 1 driver to take them upwards.

Your thoughts:

[janneppi]

Heikki hasn't been getting as good results as I expeted, altough he hasn't been lucky either, He's had more than his share of mechanical problems this year.

If you compare his situation to Massa or Heidfeld he has one redeeming factor on his side, he hasn't been in the team that long. As for Kubica, I can't see BMW giving him to another team in the near future.

[ioan]

For the past few weeks I've heard some drivers being slaughtered for their performances - namely Heidfeld and Massa - yet these two are not doing a bad job and Massa could still win the WDC and Heidfeld finish 'best of the rest'.

What I cannot believe is that nowhere is their any criticism of the driver who is underperforming most this season - Kovalainen. Yes he has been unlucky - but you make your own luck. He has only one podium this year despite being in arguably the best car on the grid.

Maybe I'm being harsh, but does anyone else think that Kubica might replace him at McLaren next year? Lewis likes him so maybe a good team there and Heikki could BMW's number 1 driver to take them upwards.

Your thoughts:

While Heidfeld is driving for BMW and Massa for Ferrari, Kovalainen is driving for McLaren, and McLaren fans though they would happily slain any other teams drivers will not do it with the McLaren ones, that's all. ;)

[ShiftingGears]

Kubica will stay at BMW or move to Ferrari.

As for Heikki - boned by the safety car rule in Australia. The Malaysia penalty plus the fact that the Ferraris and Kubica were faster meant that 3rd was the best he could do.
Bahrain - McLaren was worryingly the 3rd best car on the grid. 5th.
Spain - wheel failure.
Turkey - outqualified Hamilton but had the puncture.
Monaco - had to change steering wheels, so that put him at a disadvantage.
Canada saw him drive a poor race.

I'll reserve my judgement for a few more races.

[janneppi]

While Heidfeld is driving for BMW and Massa for Ferrari, Kovalainen is driving for McLaren, and McLaren fans though they would happily slain any other teams drivers will not do it with the McLaren ones, that's all. ;)
How many *McLaren fans* are putting Heidfeld down? I thought only the red team's supporters have strong emotions about him. ;)

[ArrowsFA1]

If we accept Heikki is underperforming why would BMW want to release Kubica, who is currently leading the WDC in the third best car on the grid, and replace him with an underperforming driver?

That said, while Heikki may not be up there with Hamilton in the standings I do think he will come good and prove to be a very good signing for McLaren. The driver pairing they have at the moment is a strong one that is only likely to get stronger.

Given that BMW's aim is to be challenging for the title in 2009 it's hard to see them releasing Kubica, and there's little reason for him to leave given the teams progress.

[ioan]

How many *McLaren fans* are putting Heidfeld down? I thought only the red team's supporters have strong emotions about him. ;)

Where did I ever wrote negative posts about Heidfeld?! :p :

[Roamy]

BMW will surpass mercedes like they always do in real life so kubica won't be leaving for sour puss's team. The world economy will put this whole series in the sh!tter unless you want to start the abra kadabra series

[pettersolberg29]

You say BMW won't let Kubica go, but they are not YET a great team and McLaren are currently better.

Kubica might want to join Lewis as well.

[MrJan]

Kovalainen is a great driver who is certainly underperforming at the moment. However I firmly believe that he will come good as soon as he gets some luck and I think that by the end of the season he will be above Kubica.

I remember watching Heikki in Formula Renault and he reminded me a lot of a certain other Finnish Formula 1 driver whose name I also struggle to spell. Think he might have done alright for himself though, he is World Champion after all ;)

[trumperZ06]

You say BMW won't let Kubica go, but they are not YET a great team and McLaren are currently better.

Kubica might want to join Lewis as well.

First... BMW has already moved up to the third best team on the grid.

Secondly, why would Kubica want to leave BMW... where he is their number One driver, to join McLaren... who has LH as their top driver?

IMO... Kubica moving from BMW to McLaren or even Ferrari (as long as Kimi is there) doesn't make sense.

[pettersolberg29]

McLaren or Ferrari would give Kubica a chance to become a legend.

With BMW he is unlikely to become a legend soon because as good as they are, it will be a couple of years before BMW are capable of winning races without other people crashing.

Just my opinion...

[gravity]

Back on topic...
I reckon McLaren (esp LH) are quite happy with HK's performance. His results aren't that impressive so far due to bad luck and perhaps one poor performance on the driver's behalf. And the signs are good that he will continue to be the #2 driver for McLaren (no driver vs driver issues in that team!)
Although McLaren might have wished for more points out of their #2 driver, his results have made it easier for the team's big decisions.
When is Ferdi going to start mixing it with the big teams?

[jens]

I don't know, for how long will the rumours about Kubica's departure from BMW persist. I can see exactly zero reasons, why he should leave this team. BMW has been getting stronger every year. He might start winning titles soon in that team.

As for Heikki - let's give him a few more races to give an accurate judgement. I think by raw pace - especially in qualifying - he has been doing very well compared to Lewis. Montreal seemed like a one-off. Btw, I actually don't think McLaren is the best car this season, more likely it's Ferrari - it might sound amazing to some, but I think Ferrari had the best package even at Montreal, but simply Lewis and Robert were performing superbly by outpacing the Ferraris.

[Garry Walker]

Where did I ever wrote negative posts about Heidfeld?! :p :

I have taken that honour on my shoulders!

[JSH]

I just wouldn't be Mclaren without a fast but unlucky Finn......

[truefan72]

Kubica is going nowhere. His hopes are firmly tied to BMW

As to Heikki, yes it's been a bit disappointing so far, unlucky or not. But he does have some serious pace, which unfortunately doesn't last for a whole race. Hopefully from here on out, he will be mixing it up for points podiums and top 5 finishes. I fully expect him to do much better in the upcoming races.

[Mikeall]

If we accept Heikki is underperforming why would BMW want to release Kubica, who is currently leading the WDC in the third best car on the grid, and replace him with an underperforming driver?


This assumes that Hamilton or Raikkonen or Massa couldn't drive the Sauber BMW 2 or 3 tenths faster than Kubica. Then people would be talking about the BMW as if it was the best car.

The driver and car are a package and the package is maybe 2 or 3 tenths slower on average than the fastest but they currently lead the world championship. For all anyone knows the BMW could be the fastest.

[ArrowsFA1]

For all anyone knows the BMW could be the fastest.
That's true :)

[aryan]

Give Kovi some time. He had a poor race in Canada, but other than that it has been a case of pure bad luck for his this season. Give him some time and he'll be there right with Hamilton both in raw speed and finishes.

[F1boat]

Heikki is a bit like Mika in 2001 or Kimi in 2002 - desperately unlucky. Probably there is a voodoo magician in McLaren, who hates Finns.

[truefan72]

see here was an opportunity for Heike to possibly get a pole or first row start.
here was a situation where he really needed to salvage something in Quali for the team. He needed to at least split the Ferrari's or start in the second row to keep them in check.

But he doesn't perform. He lands up being 6th on the grid and then gets a 5 place penalty for impeding webber.

He was consistently slower than the top 8 guys in both Q 1 and 2 and just didn't do the job. I like the guy but he's got to show some guile.

[markabilly]

HK just needs to get an FIA rep to be checking the air pressure in his rear tires......and he will be winning :D

But not too much because RD knows how very very much all true Brits demand that LH shall be WDC, so just keep drinking and fingers crossed and maybe this year, well who knows.... :beer:

And of course bernie more than anyone else wants this, :bounce: as I am sure that he is dreading another year of "Kimi the mumbler" as WDC :(

And just how many "glue me together" ads and just how many "hang me in the air" has Kimi done?

And where are all those interviews and so from Kimi.......

[ioan]

And just how many "glue me together" ads and just how many "hang me in the air" has Kimi done?

:rotflmao:

[gravity]

I haven't seen those ads in South Africa (assuming there are ads like that?).

Doesn't matter what happens from now, Kimi will always be remembered for his...
*adjusting the microphone stand... "It was okay"

[Bolton Midnight]

I think HK's early showings are his problem, LH wants to be clear number 1 and earlier HK should have been leading the championship and RD and LH don't want that.

If he gets the boot it'll be for being too good not for being rubbish.

[Shifter]

Well, Kubica was a bit slower in 07 which could be considered his second year in F1 considering the amount of Friday testing he did in 06 before finishing the season as a driver. Hekki is now in his second year, and with a different team than last year. I really think that for even great drivers, there is a strong possibility of a second-year slump as they switch from exuberant rookie to a race-crafty pro who knows how to set up the car. Let's see where Hekki is at the end of '09, he might come on as strong as Kubica.

BTW, if you watch Kubica's driving closely, you can see his talent. The BMW is in no way the fastest car on the grid. When I watch Hekki, I see someone who is simply keeping the car on track and letting the car do the work (not at all a bad strategy considering how many times the car has let him down). I think he will begin to push harder when he becomes fully comfortable to do so, and feels like the car will not break on him.

[truefan72]

Well, Kubica was a bit slower in 07 which could be considered his second year in F1 considering the amount of Friday testing he did in 06 before finishing the season as a driver. Hekki is now in his second year, and with a different team than last year. I really think that for even great drivers, there is a strong possibility of a second-year slump as they switch from exuberant rookie to a race-crafty pro who knows how to set up the car. Let's see where Hekki is at the end of '09, he might come on as strong as Kubica.

BTW, if you watch Kubica's driving closely, you can see his talent. The BMW is in no way the fastest car on the grid. When I watch Hekki, I see someone who is simply keeping the car on track and letting the car do the work (not at all a bad strategy considering how many times the car has let him down). I think he will begin to push harder when he becomes fully comfortable to do so, and feels like the car will not break on him.

you may have a point there regarding his trust in the car. He might not be pushing it as hard as he could after Spain. But he did drive well in Monaco, FP1,2,3, Quali and then drove decent in the race.

But as a top driver you have to overcome that obstacle, push the car and perform to the best of your abilities. He has talent, but he does't seem to have that unyielding desire to push as hard as he can like some of other guys have. Opportunities to win GP's don't come easy. Driving a McLaren with a possibility of race wins is a coveted position. He's got to take full advantage of it.

[pits4me]

Kubica is going nowhere. His hopes are firmly tied to BMW

As to Heikki, yes it's been a bit disappointing so far, unlucky or not. But he does have some serious pace, which unfortunately doesn't last for a whole race. Hopefully from here on out, he will be mixing it up for points podiums and top 5 finishes. I fully expect him to do much better in the upcoming races.

Heidfield is certainly off pace compared to teamate Kubica. I'd like to see Vettel take his seat in 2009. NPJ finally showed Renault a valiant effort.

Great defense of his position against Hamilton but also demonstrated the need to create better passing opportunities for the faster cars. A divided track section (lanes, divided via white-line.) Many would be welcome a change like this. Drivers have to pick one side or the other.

[ioan]

Great defense of his position against Hamilton but also demonstrated the need to create better passing opportunities for the faster cars. A divided track section (lanes, divided via white-line.) Many would be welcome a change like this. Drivers have to pick one side or the other.

And how would that be called racing then?!

[ShiftingGears]

Many would be welcome a change like this.


Are you kidding? That's one of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard!

[ioan]

Are you kidding? That's one of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard!

You shouldn't be surprised at all, people come up with bigger crap every day.

[gravity]

We have a track in South Africa, Killarney, where the main straight has a white line in the middle of the road (braking zone just before the hairpin).

The line is used as a guide for the stewards. If a driver moves across the line in a defensive manouvre, he is not allowed to move back across it and onto the racing line.
This has worked well in keeping the racing clean and has added to the spectacle of the racing too. At a time where it's difficult to get more than a couple thousand spectators at any racing even in South Africa, it's almost impossible to get a seat at the stands in that corner.

Its not a difficult rule to enforce. The current rule that the ITV commentators keep referring to regarding defensive driving, is something similar (only 1 block allowed, not allowed to move back online). I have seen many drivers moving across to defend, then moving back online yet have not been punished. A white line 'guide' would help the stewards in their decisions.

[Garry Walker]

BTW, if you watch Kubica's driving closely, you can see his talent. The BMW is in no way the fastest car on the grid. When I watch Hekki, I see someone who is simply keeping the car on track and letting the car do the work (not at all a bad strategy considering how many times the car has let him down). I think he will begin to push harder when he becomes fully comfortable to do so, and feels like the car will not break on him.

Are you Peter Windsor?

Heikki again was faster than LH in qualy, when you take account the fuel levels they had. AGAIN. So far that has been the case at quite many races already - Australia, Malaysia, Spain, Turkey and now France.
Bahrain and Monaco are unknown.
Canada is the only place where LH was faster in qualy.

That is a shocking stat actually and shows Kovalainen is pretty much killing Hammy in qualifying.



Great defense of his position against Hamilton but also demonstrated the need to create better passing opportunities for the faster cars. A divided track section (lanes, divided via white-line.) Many would be welcome a change like this.
And out of those many, none would have an IQ over 15.

[Shifter]

Are you Peter Windsor?

Heikki again was faster than LH in qualy, when you take account the fuel levels they had. AGAIN. So far that has been the case at quite many races already - Australia, Malaysia, Spain, Turkey and now France.
Bahrain and Monaco are unknown.
Canada is the only place where LH was faster in qualy.

That is a shocking stat actually and shows Kovalainen is pretty much killing Hammy in qualifying.

No, I'm some F1 fan on the boards. I guess I should have quantified my statement a little further, yes, Kovi (like a lot of Finns) are extremely good at getting in a one lap killer quali time. However I was just kind of referring to actual race pace. In race pace, Hammy is lightning quick and rotates the car in and out of corners, however his decision-making and his style of racecraft is quite disastrous at times (let's hear windsor say that). Heikki is getting some bad luck, and this is his first year in a McLaren, so he isn't pushing as hard as Lewis. On top of that he's got the 'McLaren second driver label'. If not for bad luck or punching the wrong button in Monaco Hekki would problably have more WDC points by now than Hammy, all other things being equal.

All I'm saying is quali is one thing, but it's race results that count. I'm telling you Hekki will be a serious contender for the '09 WDC once the minor hiccups disappear this year and Hekki begins to really push the car every race. What he's doing now is great becuase not once can I recall seeing Hekki make a driving error at speed during a race this year.

[ArrowsFA1]

All I'm saying is quali is one thing, but it's race results that count. I'm telling you Hekki will be a serious contender for the '09 WDC once the minor hiccups disappear this year and Hekki begins to really push the car every race. What he's doing now is great becuase not once can I recall seeing Hekki make a driving error at speed during a race this year.
Whether it's luck, or whatever, but I do think Heikki's real pace is being hidden. The French GP was a good example. After being placed 10th on the grid he had a very strong race, and was the fastest non-Ferrari. Had he been on the podium at the end of the day he probably would have earned more coverage and praise, and his drive deserved a podium.

I think he does suffer from having Hamilton as a team-mate. Not because he's #2 because I don't think he is, but because of the sheer volume of coverage Hamilton gets. McLaren = Hamilton in the view of the media, but Heikki can, and probably is, turning that to his advantage and quietly getting on with his job, which is why the McLaren drivers make a great team, and why Heikki will only get stronger as time goes on.