What is Heikki Kovalainen’s driving style?
Heikki Kovalainen has a Smooth Oversteer driving style. He said that he made “corners quite long”, taking a smooth U-shaped racing line and loading the tyres up over a longer distance. However, he struggled with the rear tyres on exit, often sliding around on throttle. Kovalainen had a textbook Smooth Oversteer driving style, having refined and mastered the style. The reason being, is that he was more sensitive to the limit of the car mid-corner. This separated his style from Lewis Hamilton’s, as Hamilton was renowned for his sensitivity and precision on the brakes. Kovalainen was quick, but lacked the adaptability to change his refined driving style.
Here is my full analysis of Heikki Kovalainen’s driving style.