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Kovalainen would be 'smart idea' for Lotus - Salo

Kovalainen would be 'smart idea' for Lotus - Salo

  • Published on 12 Nov 2013 11:28
  • comments 0
  • By: Rob Veenstra
Fellow Finn Mika Salo has nominated Heikki Kovalainen as the ideal replacement at Lotus for his surgery-bound countryman Kimi Raikkonen. The conventional wisdom is that Lotus will simply promote its reserve driver, 2012 GP2 champion Davide Valsecchi, into Raikkonen's seat for the remaining two grands prix of the season.

Italian Valsecchi, however, is a rookie, but Enstone based Lotus is locked in a lucrative and - given its financial problems - crucial battle for points and prize money in the constructors' world championship's upper places. "I have thought about this for a while," former F1 driver Mika Salo told the Finnish broadcaster MTV3, "and I think getting Heikki would be a smart idea."

The highly-rated Kovalainen is desperate to break back into F1 after losing his Caterham seat at the end of last season. He is also better prepared than Valsecchi, given his appearance for Caterham on several Friday mornings in 2013.

"Valsecchi will hardly be able to do anything on a completely new track to him," Salo said, "but Heikki has raced in Austin. Caterham also has a Renault engine. Heikki has been waiting for something like this, and if I was a team boss, I would take him rather than Valsecchi. That's nothing against Valsecchi, but simply about Lotus needing to score points," added Salo.

Arguably the neater solution for Lotus would be to use the Raikkonen situation to put together its permanent 2014 driver lineup ahead of time. Nico Hulkenberg is in the running for the seat next year, and he might be able to pull out of his Sauber contract, after the Swiss team was late in paying him earlier this year.

A Sauber spokesperson told Speed Week: "Nico will do the last two races for us, just as he did the other 17." Hulkenberg's manager Werner Heinz would not comment specifically on the Raikkonen situation, but DPA news agency quotes him as saying: "We are still in talks with several teams, including Lotus."

The other known candidate to replace Raikkonen next year is the strongly PDVSA-backed Pastor Maldonado, who will not be racing for Williams in 2014. "There are four possible candidates," Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez told the German newspaper Die Welt. "These include Nico Hulkenberg and Pastor Maldonado, and I won't say anything about the other two."

Undoubtedly, if Lotus' 'Quantum' investment deal finally collapses, Maldonado's Venezuelan backing will surely make him the favourite for the 2014 drive. But Lopez insists that it is wrong to write off the 28-year-old as a mere 'pay-driver'.

"Don't forget," he said, "Maldonado has won a grand prix. He doesn't have to hide anything. We would not put someone in our car who has just got their driver's licence, no matter their means," Lopez added. (GMM)
F1 News Pastor Maldonado Lotus F1 Renault Williams Sauber

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Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
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Bahrain
3 - Mar 5
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Mar 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
31 - Apr 2
Australia
Albert Park
28 - Apr 30
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
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19 - May 21
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Gilles Villeneuve
30 - Jul 2
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Red Bull Ring
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Silverstone
21 - Jul 23
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Hungaroring
28 - Jul 30
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Spa-Francorchamps
25 - Aug 27
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Italy
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Marina Bay Street Circuit
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Japan
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Losail International Circuit
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United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
27 - Oct 29
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
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Spain
3 - Nov 5
Brazil
Interlagos
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United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
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United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
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Italy
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Italy
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Italy
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2023

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
3 - Mar 5
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Mar 19
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
31 - Apr 2
Australia Albert Park
28 - Apr 30
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
5 - May 7
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
19 - May 21
Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
26 - May 28
Monaco Monte Carlo
2 - Jun 4
Spain Circuit de Catalunya
16 - Jun 18
Canada Gilles Villeneuve
30 - Jul 2
Austria Red Bull Ring
7 - Jul 9
United Kingdom Silverstone
21 - Jul 23
Hungary Hungaroring
28 - Jul 30
Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
25 - Aug 27
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
1 - Sep 3
Italy Monza
15 - Sep 17
Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit
22 - Sep 24
Japan Circuit Suzuka
6 - Oct 8
Qatar Losail International Circuit
20 - Oct 22
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
27 - Oct 29
Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
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Spain Circuit de Catalunya
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Brazil Interlagos
17 - Nov 19
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Driver profile

VE Pastor Maldonado 13
  • Team Renault
  • Points 27
  • Podiums 0
  • Grand Prix 19
  • Country VE
  • Date of b. Mar 9 1985 (38)
  • Place of b. Maracay, Aragua, VE
  • Weight 68 kg
  • Length 1.73 m
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Lotus F1
Lotus F1
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