Heikki's not helping Lewis

Kovalainen: Desire to win

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Heikki Kovalainen has said he will not be helping Lewis Hamilton in his quest for the World Championship, the McLaren Mercedes driver insisting his team-mate does not need support.

With Sunday's European Grand Prix in Valencia the first of seven remaining races this season, Hamilton holds a five-point lead over World Champion Kimi Raikkonen, with the latter's Ferrari team-mate, Felipe Massa, a further three points behind.

After scoring his maiden win three weeks ago in the Hungarian Grand Prix, Kovalainen stands sixth in the Drivers' Championship, 24 points adrift of his team-mate.

Nevertheless, he has insisted that his aim - and that of McLaren - is to score more victories this season rather than back Hamilton in his battle with the Ferraris.

The 26-year-old said: "The desire to win more grands prix is 100 percent.

"With regard to helping Lewis, I don't think he needs any help to be honest.

"He is strong enough to win it himself. Certainly I'm not planning to help him. If I have a chance to win another race then I will go for it.

"I'm still trying to improve my position in the Championship, and that's also the quest of the team, so I don't need to help anyone."

Kovalainen did come to Hamilton's aid in the German Grand Prix last month, moving to one side to allow the 23-year-old by en route to victory.

On that occasion, however, Hamilton was two to three seconds per lap quicker and it would have been futile for Kovalainen to block.

Kovalainen, though, is adamant he will not be resting on his laurels and that he is determined to continue his winning ways.

"In the previous few races I had targeted victory and I felt I was ready to achieve that. To do so was a great feeling," he reflected.

"Now it's back to basics, to start all over again to try and repeat it because we need to raise the bar further."

Pressure

Nevertheless, Kovalainen said that he felt no pressure to score the breakthrough victory, adding: "I wasn't stressed about it.

"It was going to happen, and it was just a matter of time. I don't feel it has made a big difference in terms of me feeling easier.

"But I do certainly feel stronger in every area since the start of the season, that I'm driving better, easier behind the car.

"I'm also working well with the engineers. The whole package has come a long way. I just need to carry on with this trend."