Kovy: Lotus exceeding expectations

Date published : 12 Feb 2010 - 20:11:25

Heikki Kovalainen says the new Lotus team has so far exceeded his expectations of what it would be capable of as a Formula 1 beginner. The Finn has switched from the huge McLaren organisation to relative minnow Lotus for 2010, and although he always had faith in his new employer, he admits he had not expected its preparations to be quite so smooth. "So far I've been very happy with the team and in fact it has exceeded my expectations in terms of getting the operation up and running," said Kovalainen at tonight's Lotus launch in London. "When I went there for the first time in December, there were four people at the reception and it took a little time to believe this could really be a Formula 1 team. "But now I think I have a very good opportunity here and I feel really motivated. "I've spent a lot of time with the team and my target is to get 100 percent out of the team every weekend." Kovalainen added that he had huge faith in team boss Tony Fernandes and technical guru Mike Gascoyne. "With Tony's CV as a businessman and Mike's CV as a technical man, in the end the decision was very easy for me and so far I'm very impressed," he said. He is confident that the team has the resources to make rapid progress this year. "We'll see in Bahrain what our performance is but, regardless of what it is, I think it will be better at the end of the season," said Kovalainen.