Kovalainen Heikks up the pressure
Heikki Kovalainen is convinced he has more to offer as he puts himself under pressure to succeed.
Kovalainen heads into tomorrow's Monaco Grand Prix in desperate need of a result after failing to score points in his last two races for McLaren.
A wheel-rim failure that led to a puncture in Barcelona saw him fly off the circuit at 150mph before hurtling into a tyre barrier, with the Finn remarkably escaping with just mild concussion.
Then in Turkey a fortnight ago Kovalainen suffered a left-rear puncture after being clipped by compatriot Kimi Raikkonen on the run down to the first corner.
That was a bitter blow for Kovalainen as he had started from second on the grid, the highest qualifying position of his career.
It means he now trails Raikkonen by 21 points, conceding after the race in Istanbul that his title chances are fading fast.
But the 26-year-old is nothing if not steadfast and resolute and he is anxious to prove his worth, as much to himself as to the team.
"I am sure there is more to come, and I am improving more and more," assessed Kovalainen.
"It has been surprisingly good since the beginning of the season, but I think I can do better. I am sure I can do better.
"That is our target and what we are still working on, trying to improve the performance all the time.
"But I put myself under a lot of pressure anyway, even if the team isn't doing a good enough job.
"If I feel I didn't do the maximum, then I will kick myself."
Kovalainen, though, has no complaints with McLaren who have given him one of the best cars on the grid, to such an extent he has out -qualified team-mate Lewis Hamilton twice in five races.
"I am very, very happy working here," added Kovalainen.
"I know a lot more now than I did at the beginning of the year - how things operate, how the race weekends go.
"For sure, there is more to come, but it is little by little.
"To be honest, I was surprised over the winter how I got used to this car and to this team.
"It is my type of environment here. I feel I have settled in very well."
Kovalainen certainly has a shot at victory tomorrow, although it is fair to assume Hamilton probably has the edge on a track where Ferrari have not won since 2001.
Assessing his chances, Kovalainen added: "Historically it has been a strong race for McLaren, but I don't think it helps us.
"We have already seen things can change very fast in F1 - Ferrari have improved and other people have improved.
"Although we feel confident, especially after the race in Turkey where our pace was very good compared to Ferrari, we will see how it goes."
A wheel-rim failure that led to a puncture in Barcelona saw him fly off the circuit at 150mph before hurtling into a tyre barrier, with the Finn remarkably escaping with just mild concussion.
Then in Turkey a fortnight ago Kovalainen suffered a left-rear puncture after being clipped by compatriot Kimi Raikkonen on the run down to the first corner.
That was a bitter blow for Kovalainen as he had started from second on the grid, the highest qualifying position of his career.
It means he now trails Raikkonen by 21 points, conceding after the race in Istanbul that his title chances are fading fast.
But the 26-year-old is nothing if not steadfast and resolute and he is anxious to prove his worth, as much to himself as to the team.
"I am sure there is more to come, and I am improving more and more," assessed Kovalainen.
"It has been surprisingly good since the beginning of the season, but I think I can do better. I am sure I can do better.
"That is our target and what we are still working on, trying to improve the performance all the time.
"But I put myself under a lot of pressure anyway, even if the team isn't doing a good enough job.
"If I feel I didn't do the maximum, then I will kick myself."
Kovalainen, though, has no complaints with McLaren who have given him one of the best cars on the grid, to such an extent he has out -qualified team-mate Lewis Hamilton twice in five races.
"I am very, very happy working here," added Kovalainen.
"I know a lot more now than I did at the beginning of the year - how things operate, how the race weekends go.
"For sure, there is more to come, but it is little by little.
"To be honest, I was surprised over the winter how I got used to this car and to this team.
"It is my type of environment here. I feel I have settled in very well."
Kovalainen certainly has a shot at victory tomorrow, although it is fair to assume Hamilton probably has the edge on a track where Ferrari have not won since 2001.
Assessing his chances, Kovalainen added: "Historically it has been a strong race for McLaren, but I don't think it helps us.
"We have already seen things can change very fast in F1 - Ferrari have improved and other people have improved.
"Although we feel confident, especially after the race in Turkey where our pace was very good compared to Ferrari, we will see how it goes."