Formula One / Ralph Ellis / 09 March 2012 /

A new Grand Prix season starts in Melbourne next Sunday, and all the teams have been packing up their cars and heading Down Under. Betfair went to Norfolk to talk to Caterham F1 driver Heikki Kovalainen about what we can expect...

Heikki, thanks for talking to us. This is your sixth season in Formula One - is it still exciting as the first race day approaches?
It is still exciting, but it's also my job, so I always approach every race the same way, whether it's the first race of the season or the last. What is exciting is finding out where we've progressed. The pre-season tests don't tell the whole story about where all are in real performance terms, but we know we're in better shape than this time last year, so for me and the whole team it's good to finally find out where all the hard work has put us.

Your ambitions for this season?
Personally I want to keep improving as a driver. Last year was good and I want to build on what I've learnt with this team, and the two teams I've been with in the past. For the team, we want to join the midfield teams and take our place in what will probably be a very tightly packed group fighting for anything from ninth or tenth place right down to 19th / 20th.

What differences has the change of name from Lotus during the winter made to your team?
What we have changed is the name - we're now Caterham F1 Team. But it's pretty much the same, there haven't been new owners, it's still Tony Fernandes, Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin who started the team back in 2009 and are still in charge.

And what have you thought of your car in testing?
I've been pleased with the fact we've taken a step up in performance terms from last year. We have KERS for this year, and a car that is a long way ahead of the cars we raced in 2010 and 2011, in every area. We've been reliable and we've shown some pace so for me it's good to see we keep progressing. How much have we moved on? We won't know until Australia.

You started out in F1 with Renault then McLaren. What have you learned from a couple of seasons driving for an emerging team where your car is not so competitive?
I've learnt that no matter what car you're in you can develop as a driver and that you can get enormous satisfaction from getting the most out of whatever you're driving.

Does it actually make you a better driver?
I know I'm better than I was when I joined this team, in almost every area, so I'd have to say it's made me a better driver, but whether that's true for other people, I don't know.

Red Bull dominated last year and are favourites again. Could it be more open than that, and how do you see this season going?
I suspect Red Bull won't suddenly lose their form, so I think it'll be a battle for a couple of teams to catch them, but it's possible. I think the midfield will be incredibly tight and that's where we want to be.

What special qualities do you think Sebastian Vettel possesses?
He has the quickest car. That's a pretty helpful quality.

Then again you've worked with Lewis Hamilton so can you tell us about some of his strengths?
I think Lewis' strengths are clear to see - enough's said about him and why he's quick so I can't really add much to what's already out there.

Is there a driver or team who could be a surprise, like Jenson Button and Brawn were in 2009?
I doubt it. The truth is that in the sport we all knew what Brawn were capable of because the year before, when they were still Honda, they had one of the biggest budgets and some of the best people working full-time to make a car that really could compete. It wasn't a huge surprise to any of us in the paddock that they were quick.

Will this year's technical rule changes make any big differences?
Not really - it's pretty much the same as last year

Finally what's the best thing about being a Formula One driver?
I'm asked that quite a lot and I always give the same answer - driving Formula One cars. Until you've experienced real downforce it's hard to explain just what it feels like driving a car that will go more quickly the harder it's pushed, and once you've tried it you want more of it, downforce and pure pace.

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