Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Heikki Kovalainen finished the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal in ninth place. After 70 laps (305.270km), Heikki took the chequered flag 54.4sec behind winner Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber). His team-mate Lewis Hamilton retired on lap 20 after his pit stop during the Safety Car period (9.9sec), when he hit Kimi Räikkönen’s Ferrari at the pit lane exit after Kimi had stopped. Heikki was on a two-stop strategy and pitted on laps 19 (10.0sec) and 53 (6.4sec). After the seventh of 18 Grands Prix, Lewis lies second in the drivers’ rankings, tied with Felipe Massa (Ferrari) on 38 points; Kubica leads with 42 points. Heikki is sixth overall with 15 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is third with 53 points; Ferrari leads with 73 points.
LEWIS HAMILTON
"Before my pit stop, everything looked on course for the perfect result: we were so quick, we were breezing it in fact. But it wasn’t a great pit stop - and, as I exited the box, I saw two cars jostling for position ahead of me in the pit lane. Obviously, I didn’t want to get involved in their tussle, and was trying not to do so, and then all of a sudden they stopped. And by the time they’d come to a halt, it was too late for me to avoid them. It’s just unfortunate when stuff like this happens, but I have no argument with the stewards. We’d looked so strong for the whole weekend though, so at least we can leave Montreal confident that we have a package that will enable us to fight for the World Championship from here on in."
