Heikki Kovalainen will race for McLaren alongside Lewis Hamilton next year, the team has announced.
The 26-year-old Finn joins the Woking outfit after a strong rookie season with Renault – completing a seat swap with double world champion Fernando Alonso, who last Monday confirmed his return to the French manufacturer after a turbulent year at McLaren.
Kovalainen was widely seen as the logical choice for the McLaren drive after Renault opted to pair Alonso with its test driver Nelson Piquet Jr and Nico Rosberg committed to two more years with Williams.
McLaren confirmed that Pedro de la Rosa will remain its third driver and Gary Paffett will continue in a testing role.
“We had a number of options open to us and as always we want to make sure that we have the most competitive driver line-up and I think that Lewis and Heikki will be a formidable combination,” said the team’s F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh.
“Both enjoyed great rookie seasons in 2007 and share a genuine passion for winning and being the best.
“Heikki made a strong impression and Lewis' performance so far has been outstanding and speaks for itself.
“I am confident that they will push each other on track and work well together off track.
“In addition with Pedro remaining our primary test driver alongside Gary, we really have a strong package and look forward to 2008.”
Kovalainen, who has signed what the team called a “long-term contract”, is thrilled by his new appointment – especially given McLaren’s successful history with Finnish drivers Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen.
“I am so excited to join a team like Vodafone McLaren Mercedes,” he said.
“So far I have been blown away by the dedication and commitment to winning, which is clear through the entire organisation, and I am really excited about our joint future.
“As a Finn it’s an honour for me to follow in Mika and Kimi’s footsteps.
“I haven’t really spent a lot of time with Lewis so far but from what I know I think we will work well together and do our best for the team.”
Hamilton welcomed Kovalainen to the team, having had a tense rivalry with Alonso last year.
“I am really looking forward to 2008 and working with Heikki as my team-mate,” said the Briton.
“Together with the team we will do everything we can to ensure that our championship challenge is as strong and focused as possible.
“My first year in Formula 1 was incredible and I was so fortunate to spend it with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and I hope that Heikki will enjoy his first year with the team as much as I did mine.”
Mercedes-Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug said Kovalainen had proved himself a well-rounded performer during his debut campaign.
“Heikki is a talented driver who showed his skills during his debut season in Formula 1 this year,” he said.
“Heikki’s most impressive performance was at the Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji, where he finished second behind Lewis in extremely treacherous wet conditions.
“He is not only a quick driver but also one of the most consistent having finished in every grand prix except the last, which puts him in the top five together with our drivers who covered most laps in 2007.”
Haug also held out the prospect of a more harmonious atmosphere within the team.
“Everybody in the team is looking forward to a very fruitful cooperation,” he said.
“Lewis and Heikki will form one of the youngest driver line-ups, and I am convinced that both will be very strong and at the same time cooperative competitors.”
more: itv-f1.com
