Where now for Heikki?

[Knock-on]

Finishing 6 places behind his Team mate with just over half of Lewis's points, where does he now stand.

He's shown some fast pace this year with both drivers fighting on track and really seemed to sparkle on occassions. Only problem is that he's failed to deliver on significantly more weekends than he has impressed.

He has a contract for next year but can McLaren continue to support a driver that is not delivering.

I know what my boss would say!

[Mark]

I have no doubt he will continue to drive for McLaren next year. However he will have to put in some good performances and at least show he can keep up with Hamilton during the start of the year or he'll be out.

During the final few races McLaren really needed to get him up on the front of the grid to help Lewis, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Having said that if you want to win championships then the best thing to have is a main driver and a secondary driver, who will always finish behind. MS proved that this forumla is the best way to go.

[Knock-on]

I have no doubt he will continue to drive for McLaren next year. However he will have to put in some good performances and at least show he can keep up with Hamilton during the start of the year or he'll be out.

During the final few races McLaren really needed to get him up on the front of the grid to help Lewis, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Having said that if you want to win championships then the best thing to have is a main driver and a secondary driver, who will always finish behind. MS proved that this forumla is the best way to go.

But the #1 - #2 strategy is alien to McLaren and I hope it remains so.

Ferrari didn't use a 1 - 2 strategy this year and won the WCC so it can be done.

[ArrowsFA1]

Having said that if you want to win championships then the best thing to have is a main driver and a secondary driver, who will always finish behind. MS proved that this forumla is the best way to go.
By his performances this year, and Lewis's WDC, Heikki finds himself in that position by default going into 2009. But I think his talent is better than his 2008 results show and am confident he will improve.

[Mark]

Ferrari didn't use a 1 - 2 strategy this year and won the WCC so it can be done.

And lost the WDC as a result. If they had concentrated on Massa they would have won the championship. Mind you if they had concentrated on Kimi they would have lost by miles :laugh:

[ShiftingGears]

Can't say that he deserves a racewinning car.

[F1boat]

Having said that if you want to win championships then the best thing to have is a main driver and a secondary driver, who will always finish behind. MS proved that this forumla is the best way to go.

I agree.

[janneppi]

Heikki needs to perform better that's for sure, that said, he needs a fuel load in Q3 that isn't by default three laps heavier than his team mate, you can't really do squat if you end up fifth, sixth in a heavier car. Having a car that suits your natural driving style wouldn't hurt either.

I don't think McLaren really put as much effort on Kovalainen than Hamilton, this year. If McLaren are serious about WCC, they have to give the other guy a realistic break more than once a season.

[janneppi]

Having said that if you want to win championships then the best thing to have is a main driver and a secondary driver, who will always finish behind. MS proved that this forumla is the best way to go.

That works for WDC, but for it to work for WCC the car has to be miles ahead of what others have, as McLaren now proved. ;)

[Sleeper]

The points dont show all the picture, Heikki lost a lot of good points through a string of problems in the first 6 races or so, and he was almost matching Hamilton then, he also lost two strong results, including a possible win in Fuji, through more technical problems at the end of the season as well. I eckon he's lost at least 30 points through no fault of his own.

Needs to work harder at matching his style to the cars charecteristics, or the other way round, to get on terms with Hamilton though.

[truefan72]

But the #1 - #2 strategy is alien to McLaren and I hope it remains so.

Ferrari didn't use a 1 - 2 strategy this year and won the WCC so it can be done.
and pretty much Mclaren won the WCC last year with no clear 1-2 system as well. ( spygate negating their commanding points total) as well looking real good for the WDC as well.

As to Kovy, I'm no fan of his right now. I think next year is a critical year for him. There a re a bunch of drivers who right now could probably do a better job than him. i wonder if it is a conditioning and mental thing with him because he can obviously drive a car quick, but seems not to be able to do a lot with the one of the top 4 cars in the grid all year long. He started of nicely, but after a few races seemed to be getting downhill.

[Tazio]

Give the lad some time!
I don't think Ron is finnished re-inventing HK
After Renault "sytematically destroyed him" in the 2007 season :dozey:
:laugh: :laugh:
:laugh:
:laugh:

[PSfan]

ok, first team Macs did essentially use a #1 and #2 this year, they just want to pretend that we didn't notice.

Second even without spygate Ferrari would have finished 2007 1 point ahead of the macs thanks to McLeran not earning points towards that one race where Alonso held up Hamilton during Qualifying pit stops... (though one could argue having information about their main competitors strengths and weaknesses combine with race strategies called in prior to the early season races may have helped Mcleran out as well...)

Hope Heikki gets a chance to shine next year, but he'll probably get stuck with race stretegies that support hamilton more then show off his own talents...

[jens]

To be fair with Heikki, he had loads of unluck this year too. While Hamilton suffered just one puncture, then Kovalainen faced problems in Spain, Monaco, Belgium, Japan and China. Besides this he basically always lost with a SC session (Australia, Canada, Germany, Singapore), although in Canada and Singapore he was quite nowhere already before SC session.

But even regardless of all that unluck his pace was mostly disappointing. I wonder, what happened to his late-2007 form, when he even clinched a second position at Fuji from P12 on the grid. This year he hasn't performed even close to that in a wet race, despite having a better car! This year it seems reverse - his quali performances have been better than race ones plus he has often been clumsy at turn 1. Funnily in 2008 he has finished in exactly the same position in WDC standings as 2007 - 7th, although this time he collected clearly more points to achieve that (53 / 30). I can't help but feel in some way he is similar to Fisichella - as a #1 driver in a midfield team he may shine. Heikki in some way seems mentally struggling against a really strong team-mate. His first half of 2007 was difficult too until he found confidence.

[PolePosition_1]

Ferrari didn't use a 1 - 2 strategy this year and won the WCC so it can be done.

I would argue that them not using a 1 - 2 strategy cost them the drivers title.

That said, I much prefer their equal approach.

[DexDexter]

Heikki needs to perform better that's for sure, that said, he needs a fuel load in Q3 that isn't by default three laps heavier than his team mate, you can't really do squat if you end up fifth, sixth in a heavier car. Having a car that suits your natural driving style wouldn't hurt either.

I don't think McLaren really put as much effort on Kovalainen than Hamilton, this year. If McLaren are serious about WCC, they have to give the other guy a realistic break more than once a season.

Heikki had a disappointing and inconsistant season but those fuel loads certainly played a part in his performance. Imagine if Heikki had had a lighter car in quali in some of the races, he would have been in front of Hamilton at the start of the races at least once or twice...and a red car could well have won the championship because of that.

[Big Ben]

But the #1 - #2 strategy is alien to McLaren and I hope it remains so.

:laugh: you innocent little boy