Kovalainen: Pleased

Related links

Teams

• McLaren

Drivers

• Heikki Kovalainen

Also see

• F1 forum
• Live coverage

Heikki Kovalainen said he was content with a podium finish after suffering the five-place grid penalty also handed to McLaren-Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton following qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Race stewards handed the penalty to both Kovalainen and Hamilton after they were deemed to have blocked Nick Heidfeld and Fernando Alonso in qualifying.

Kovalainen proceeded to make steady albeit unspectacular progress through the field in the race itself and managed to secure third place behind Kimi Raikkonen and Robert Kubica.

And, considering his travails in qualifying, the Finn was happy with his overall performance.

"I think we have to be pleased with the result," he said.

"After yesterday's penalty it was going to be quite hard for us. Our strategy worked well and I was able to be in clear air all the time.

"I had a bit of trouble in the first stint with graining but the car worked pretty well. At the last stint I turned engine down and kept it home.

"It was a good day, but I would have liked to be a few positions higher, but this was the most we could do today."

Fitness

The 26-year-old also revealed that, on a day that brought 30-plus degree celsius temperatures and 70 percent humidity to Sepang, his fitness training paid dividends.

Nevertheless, his tyres fared less well at times during the race's 56 laps, with Kovalainen again using the opportunity to complain about graining.

He added: "It is always tough but I felt fairly good after the race, no big problems. We worked hard with the team and my doctor to make sure I am in better shape than last year. I think the work has paid out.

"It was always going to be the laps at the end of the stint that we felt were stronger relative to the others.

"Early on in the stints graining was compromising our pace a little bit, which is why the team kept me on track longer.

"It was the right thing to do as I was able to jump Jarno (Trulli) and bring it home."