For the latest of her series of candid interviews with the Formula 1 stars, ITV Sport’s intrepid pit lane reporter Louise Goodman tracked down McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen in Japan.
The Finn spoke honestly about how he viewed his first season at McLaren, his good relationship with team-mate Lewis Hamilton and why he loves playing the drums.
Louise Goodman: How would you rate your first season with McLaren?
Heikki Kovalainen: I think the results have been worse than I expected.
I was expecting to be higher up in the championship and have scored more podiums but in the middle of the season there was a particularly bad patch of about four or five races where I only scored about one point because of various different problems.
Otherwise it’s been okay; our qualifying pace has been very strong and our race pace has improved quite a lot.
I think I have learned a lot about how to drive this car better and also how to set it up better. I think the potential is strong, which is a positive thing.
Overall it’s been a positive season and there are still a couple of races to go so I can make it even better.
Louise: You seem to have a very easy and relaxed relationship with Lewis – what’s the best thing that you’ve done together this season?
HK: I can think of many fun things we’ve done. We’ve done some marketing events together like the kayaking race in Australia where I got lost and he beat me!
And we did a remote-controlled car race together in Geneva the weekend before the Japanese Grand Prix. He was with his brother and I was with the guy who built my house in Geneva.
Afterwards we went to my house and we played some drums. His brother is very good at drums so he was teaching us some good stuff.
It’s just very easy-going with Lewis. Whatever we do we are always very competitive, but we respect each other and I think we push the team forwards as well.
I push him; he knows he can’t relax too much, especially in qualifying where I’ve been close this year and able to push him and to push the team forward.
There’s been very good harmony in the team.
Louise: I’ve been hearing about your new musical aspirations. What inspired you to buy a drum kit and start playing?
HK: I used to play in a band at school – that was the start of it, playing in school lessons. I learned the bass beats.
I’ve always listened to rock music and ‘metal’ music. I have a favourite band from Finland called Nightwish who play quite fast ‘metal’ music.
The lead singer is a woman – I know all the band members quite well actually as I met them last year at a concert. I’ve invited them to come to the Brazilian Grand Prix if their schedule is flexible enough.
Anyway, I’ve always listened to their music and listened to the drums…the beats. In my new house in Geneva there’s like and old nuclear bunker so I can lock the door and nobody can hear me outside.
So I got myself a set of drums – a proper live set – and I can put the headset on, listen to music and play along on my drums. I’m getting better!
If there was a drum set here I’d show you what I can do. I’ve still got a lot to learn, but I’m definitely getting better.
And now for the trivia…
Other than driver, which job in the paddock would you be best at?
Truck driver probably. I’ve got a truck driver’s licence so I could reverse into a spot no problem!
Schumacher or Hill?
Schumacher. I don’t know Hill so well – I obviously remember him, but I didn’t follow him that much when he was driving. I know Schumacher much better and I saw what he did and followed what he did. He was very dedicated and did everything that I think a driver should do to be successful.
Which Olympic sport would you most like to win a gold medal for?
Long-distance running. The marathon or 10k or 5k run – something like that.
Which is your favourite – Melbourne, Monaco or Monza?
Monaco. It’s just so unique. It’s difficult and challenging, and it’s just a great event.
What was the last thing that made you laugh?
Just now I was outside talking to my Dad and Aki, our team doctor. Aki was making jokes about us and the area we come from in the north of Finland…he was saying that the whole paddock is full of northern people now!
City break, beach resort or mountain hideaway?
Mountain hideaway – easily.
What’s your karaoke staple?
I don’t do karaoke much…at least I don’t remember doing it much! In Finland though we have a song called ‘Rekka Mies’. It’s a legendary song, very traditional.
Rekka is a lorry and Mies is man so it’s basically a song about a lorry driver. It’s about what a good job it is being a lorry driver, so that’s the song I sing.
When was the last time you swore and who was it at?
Probably this morning coming into the track. There were people directing the traffic but one was telling you to go one way and the other was telling you to go another way…so I was asking them to make up their minds!
If you had a million pounds to spare, who would you give it to?
It’s difficult to say…there are a lot of people in the world who would deserve it. I watched a Michael Moore movie yesterday called ‘Sicko’ about people in America who don’t have any health insurance and are very ill, but can’t afford to get any kind of medical attention.
Off the top of my head right now I could imagine that those people could do with some money, but I dunno. There are so many poor people around the world who would deserve it.
When was the last time you cried?
I honestly don’t remember. I don’t cry… I can’t remember having either such a bad moment or good moment that I’ve cried. It would be a long, long time ago – when I was under 10 years old maybe.
Which race would you most like to see dropped from the calendar?
I don’t know – that’s a very difficult question as well. They are all different – lots of people would say Magny-Cours because the town is nothing special but I quite like driving on the track there. It’s smooth, has some fast corners, good braking.
Maybe Jerez as a test track. We go there so many times that I get bored as soon as I arrive.