Formula One news

Kovalainen confident with 'encouraging' car

Heikki Kovalainen has again praised the McLaren team for the progress made by the Woking squad since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. The English team experienced one of its toughest starts to a season both on and off the track this year but the Finn is confident that podium finishes are now a real possibility.

With Lewis Hamilton's Hungarian Grand Prix win a large morale booster for all at McLaren before heading into the summer break, his team-mate is also content with recent additions. "Having driven the fully updated car for the first time in Hungary last month, it was very encouraging to be able to feel just how much progress the team has made developing the MP4-24," Kovalainen said.

Heikki is likely to arrive in Spain with a smile

"We've now got a car that's much easier to drive on the limit and which really rewards your input; I'm really looking forward to the European Grand Prix which, while it won't suit us as strongly as the Hungaroring, should be another strong opportunity for us to score some more points."

With the political wrangling of earlier in the season now firmly at the back of team members' minds, the Suomussalmi driver is as positive as ever. "After the summer break, I think the whole team is really looking forward to the second half of the season," Heikki concluded. "We're all refreshed and united - I think there's a lot of potential for the remaining races."

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