F1: Kovalainen sure McLaren will get it right

[Plex]

Heikki Kovalainen is confident McLaren will have no worries about losing development direction with their new car next year because of their relatively inexperienced driver line-up.

The Woking-based team will have one of the least experienced driver pairing on the grid next year, with Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton each only having a single season of F1 racing behind them.

But Kovalainen thinks that their inexperience is not a cause for concern for McLaren, especially because the team have retained the services of veteran test driver Pedro de la Rosa.

Speaking to Autosport, Kovalainen said: "I have a lot of experience of testing the car for many kilometres with Renault, and I will be able to help the team develop. And if Lewis and I ever get stuck because of our experience Pedro will be able to help.

"He is one of the best test drivers in F1 and is really quick. What we have to aim for now is that we make sure when we get to Melbourne we have done absolutely everything that we can possibly do to get the best results. That's the big aim for the winter."

Kovalainen has already begun work at the McLaren factory, getting to know his engineers and trying out the team's simulator.

And although he knows the team expect him to deliver results in 2008, he is adamant that he is only thinking about the winter testing programme at the moment.

"McLaren are the best team in Formula One and they are never going to be happy unless they are winning races," said Kovalainen. "That's of course something I'm working on myself - that's the goal.

"But at the moment the most important thing is to get to know the team and to get the relationship so strong that I am in the position to fight for good positions. That's where I'm focusing now.

"I'm not thinking about any races or the championship. That would just be wasting energy."

Autosport