Kovalainen and van der Garde want to be in F1 in 2014
Giedo van der Garde is currently competing in his first Formula 1 season, and the Dutch driver wants to continue the adventure while his colleague at Caterham, Heikki Kovalainen, hopes to secure a permanent seat in F1, even though he knows it's not easy for him due to a lack of funds.
Giedo van der Garde made his Formula 1 debut at the beginning of the year, and the Dutch driver managed to show his skills, notably in Monaco where he qualified in 15th position and at Spa where he started from 14th place on the grid.
The managers of van der Garde, Jan Paul ten Hoopen and Jeroen Schothorst, are working to continue their protégé’s career in Formula 1 according to De Telegraaf, and the two men are expected to be present in Monza, particularly to talk with several teams that could be interested, such as Sauber, Williams or Force India, according to the Dutch publication.
Even though he has significant support thanks to the McGregor clothing brand, his future is not yet secured for 2014, but Giedo van der Garde is not yet concerned about his future; he wants to stay focused on his performances to have a chance to remain in F1 next year: « It makes no sense for me to start thinking about next season already. There are still eight races to go. »
One of the drivers who could potentially replace the Dutchman if he is not extended could be Heikki Kovalainen, the current reserve driver for the Caterham F1 team. The Finn has solid experience in F1, which is why the engineers wanted to see him in the car in Bahrain, Spain, and Belgium during the free practice 1 sessions, and he will also drive at Monza.
Competition is something Heikki Kovalainen misses, as he told Turun Sanomat, but he also knows that against drivers who bring significant budgets, he doesn’t stand a chance: « This has been a long year. Even if I haven’t been driving, I’ve managed to build a better relationship with the team. With Tony [Fernandes, the boss] and the others, and now there’s a good understanding. The most important thing would be to get back to competing. I can’t say if the chances are good or bad. But if it only comes down to money, then the return is not in my hands. Everyone knows my situation – I don’t come with money, and if I manage to bring a sponsor, then I would take the money for myself. »
