Fernando Alonso has left the Vodafone McLaren team for good. Now the vacant position as second driver to Lewis Hamilton has been officially taken by Finn Heikki Kovalainen who have signed with McLaren last month. According to my source, Finn Heikki Kovalainen will team up with Formula 1 World Championship ace driver Lewis Hamilton for season 2008. The upcoming season is drawing nearer and nearer! We can’t wait for Kovalainen to fasten his seat belts and race with one of the greatest young race drivers in the world.
Furthermore, Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa will continue to be the team’s third driver and will be an essential component of Vodafone McLAren. Gary Paffett will help out Pedro with the testing program if necessary.
"We had a number of options open to us and as always we want to make sure that we have the most competitive driver line-up and I think that Lewis and Heikki will be a formidable combination," said Martin Whitmarsh.
"Both enjoyed great rookie seasons in 2007 and share a genuine passion for winning and being the best. Heikki made a strong impression and Lewis’ performance so far has been outstanding and speaks for itself. I am confident that they will push each other on track and work well together off track. In addition with Pedro remaining our primary test driver alongside Gary, we really have a strong package and look forward to 2008," he added.
"Heikki is a talented driver who showed his skills during his debut season in Formula 1 this year. Heikki’s most impressive performance was at the Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji where he finished second behind Lewis in extremely treacherous wet conditions." commented Norbert Haug, Vice President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport.
"I am so excited to join a team like Vodafone McLaren Mercedes," said Heikki. "So far I have been blown away by the dedication and commitment to winning which is clear through the entire organisation and I am really excited about our joint future. As a Finn it’s an honour for me to follow in Mika and Kimi’s footsteps. I haven’t really spent a lot of time with Lewis so far but from what I know I think we will work well together and do our best for the team."
"As soon as the chequered flag went in Brazil I began to count down the days until Australia. I am really looking forward to 2008 and working with Heikki as my team mate. Together with the team we will do everything we can to ensure that our Championship challenge is as strong and focused as possible. My first year in Formula 1 was incredible and I was so fortunate to spend it with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and I hope that Heikki will enjoy his first year with the team as much as I did mine," says Lewis Hamilton.