Heikki Kovalainen drives again for the Lotus team in the 2011 season, having driven for the team in their debut return season in 2010. The Lotus team carries an iconic name, Lotus were seven times Constructor Champions' in the 1960s and 70s, but the current team, save the Lotus green, has very little in common with the team of old.

Finland has a remarkable record of producing great drivers, and Heikki Kovalainen is perhaps burdened by the expectation that he was another Keke Rosberg, Mika Häkkinen or Kimi Räikkönen. Unfortunately, despite driving in the past for a top team (McLaren) his results are far from those of his illustrious countryman. A spell in the less intense atmosphere of Lotus, may help in the affable Kovalainen regain the confidence and results exhibited in his pre -F1 racing. However, the 2010 Lotus car was dreadful and it is hard to envisage without significantly better results the Finn returning to a competitive team.

Kovalainen began his racing career in Karting, finishing second in 1999 and 2000 in the Finnish Formula A championship and third in the World Formula Super A Championship.

In 2000 he raced in the British Formula Renault championship finishing in fourth place. His strong performance attracted support of the Renault Driver Development programme, and in 2002 he raced in the British F3series finishing the year in third place.
 
In 2003 and 2004 Kovalainen competed in the Renault-owned, World Series by Nissan, winning the title in his second year.

The next step in 2005 for Kovalainen was GP2, the natural series to race before entering F1, his season started well and he led the championship for a number of races, however, by season end he was bested by Nico Rosberg, Kovalainen taking second in the championship.

Kovalainen spent the 2006 season as Renault's full time test driver.
 
Heikki Kovalainen's debut F1 race was at the 2007 Australian GP; he drove poorly and finished the race in tenth place. As the season progressed his form improved, and importantly his creditable seventh place finish in the championship was one place ahead of his team mate Giancarlo Fisichella. The highlight of the season was a second place and his first F1 podium finish at the Japanese GP.
 
Kovalainen 'swapped' teams with Fernando Alonso in 2008, with Kovalainen joining McLaren, and Alonso moving from McLaren to Renault. Heikki would partner Lewis Hamilton.

Relative merit of performance in an F1 driver is difficult to accurately assess; much will depend on the car. It is important to review a driver's results compared with his team mate. Over the course of a season the better driver in a team will normally prevail. In 2008 Lewis Hamilton was the drivers' world champion and Kovalainen finished in seventh place. Hamilton beat Kovalainen in 12 of the season's 18 races and finished with approaching double the number of points. Kovalainen's season had three podium finishes that including a victory, his first, at the Hungarian GP.

Kovalainen was retained by McLaren for the 2009 season, and the team struggled to produce a fast reliable car. Results for both drivers were disappointing, but once again Kovalainen was comprehensively beaten by his team mate Hamilton. Hamilton finished the season in fifth place and Kovalainen was twelfth with less than half the number of points. It was no surprise that McLaren did not seek to maintain the relationship for the 2010 season.

Heikki Kovalainen moved to Lotus in 2010, and the results were a huge disappointment for those of us who had hoped the new Lotus team would exhibit a similar revolutionary brilliance of the original Lotus team. Heikki retired from five races and had one DNS, the best result was a twelfth place at the Japanese GP.

Kovalaien had two memorable events in the 2010 season: At the European GP he was involved in the most spectacular crash of the season, Mark Webber hit Kovalainen's Lotus and went over the top before landing and skidding into the barrier. (Kovalainen and Webber were unhurt). At the Singapore Grand Prix on the last lap, his car caught fire but he did not drive into the crowed pit area, but rather stopped at the side of the track and tackle the blaze himself, thereby not endangering others.

Finishing the season in 20th place in 2010 must be a bitter disappointment for Kovalaien after driving for two years with a credible team. Driving in circles, a couple of laps down on his former teammate certainly will do little for his confidence or reputation.


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