Heikki prepared to wait

Finn believes he will taste success one day

Last updated: 24th July 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Heikki prepared to wait

Kovalainen: Waiting game

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McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen will wait for as long as it takes to win a Formula One grand prix.

The Finn is still waiting to taste Formula One success after 27 races but believes 'it will happen sooner or later'.

So the 26-year-old is prepared to be patient, even letting team-mate - and eventual winner - Lewis Hamilton pass when he was running fourth in the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim on Sunday.

The German success was Hamilton's fourth of the season, and eighth of the 23-year-old's career, but Kovalainen is himself prepared to wait.

He said: "I just need to find my own way. It will happen sooner or later.

Opportunities again

"The fact is I've already been in a position to win a few times, and there will be opportunities again.

"I just need to crack those opportunities when they come, take them better than I have done so far, to make sure I don't waste them."

In displaying patience, Kovalainen points to the example set by two-time former champion Mika Hakkinen, who had to wait until his 96th race in his seventh season before savouring victory with McLaren.

Kovalainen added: "I've patience, and if I have to wait until my 96th race then I will wait.

"But I'm not stressing about it at the moment. I just need to keep my concentration, stay on the right track and it will eventually happen.

"I can wait, if that's the case."

Still fighting

The Finn now lies sixth in the drivers' standings with 28 points, 30 behind Hamilton, but he has not given up on the world title just yet.

"At this point of the season I was planning to have more points, but many things have happened, some technical issues, accidents," he said.

"So the most important thing is to keep focused, to keep working, to drag ourselves into a position to win.

"I'm still pushing to the maximum to score more points than the others, and you never know. Anything can happen in Formula One.

"So there's no point giving up or feeling sorry for myself. I will keep fighting."