`I want to develop as a driver`
After a season in GP2 Heikki Kovalainen in which he finished runner-up to Nico Rosberg in the Championship chase, Kovalainen moves to Renault as the team`s official test driver and he is determined to make the best of his opportunity.
Heikki, you will fulfil the role of test driver for the Renault F1 Team in 2006. What are your objectives for this year?
"I think the goal is simple: I need to develop as a driver. This is a perfect opportunity to work alongside Fernando and Giancarlo, and to learn from them. They are both at the top of our profession, proven race winners, and fantastic drivers. For me, it is great to be in a situation where I can compare myself with the guys who are representing the team at the races."

Do you have specific areas in which you want to develop?
"I think it has to happen in every area. I don’t think I have any particular weaknesses at the moment, but everything needs to step up a level. The main goal is to develop my driving, but I need to learn how to give good technical feedback as well, to understand how the team works at the races, and most of all to get a lot of miles. The test driver’s role is an important one, because the decisions you make have a direct impact on how competitive the team is at the races. So I have to make sure I am doing a good job in every sector."

Do you think a test driving role is a good way for a young driver to begin an F1 career?
"For sure, I think it is a much better option than going racing with a smaller team, for example. When you are learning, it is really important to be in a good car, a good team and working with top level drivers. In a smaller team, you don’t get so much testing and things are always limited in one area or another. For me, to have the opportunity to test with Renault, and work with the best in the business, is absolutely the right decision for my future."

Does testing demand a different style compared to when you go racing?
"Not really. My philosophy is always to go flat out, at 100%. I have discussed it with the engineers, and they have said that if you go off sometimes, it is not a problem – but that for their work, it is best to be driving flat out. If you are at nine tenths, you cannot give an accurate answer about what is happening with the car. Plus that is when you lose concentration and can make mistakes, when you are not on the limit. My approach will to be pushing hard all the time, to feel the changes to the car and give reliable feedback. Flat out is my philosophy."

What are your impressions of the team so far?
"What is really impressive is the level of precision. There are always new parts to test, new developments on software, things are never standing still. Compared to junior series, that is very different. At Renault, the other thing that has really struck me is how the team works together. There are the chassis guys in England, the engine team in France, but they come together in a very smooth way. When you see that collaboration, it is hard not to admire it."

Does the role of test driver bring pressure?
"I think the pressure will come from inside myself: I constantly want to improve, to do things better and to learn more. Being a test driver for the world champion team is certainly a big responsibility, and I am aware of that. But they have the trust in me to develop and do a good job. It is a fantastic opportunity, and I am determined to deliver on it."

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