autoevolution
 

Ex-Formula 1 Driver Heikki Kovalainen Took a BMW M4 DTM for a Spin

BMW and its star driver this season, Marco Wittmann, are looking extremely strong in the DTM Championship. Marco is leading the pack in the Driver’s Championship and BMW is doing the same in the Manufacturers’ Rankings. However, there’s no time to revel in the success recorded so far.
Heikki Kovalainen aboard a BMW M4 DTM 15 photos
Photo: bmw
Heikki Kovalainen aboard a BMW M4 DTMHeikki KovalainenHeikki KovalainenHeikki KovalainenHeikki KovalainenHeikki KovalainenHeikki KovalainenHeikki KovalainenHeikki Kovalainen aboard a BMW M4 DTMHeikki Kovalainen aboard a BMW M4 DTMHeikki KovalainenHeikki KovalainenHeikki Kovalainen aboard a BMW M4 DTMHeikki Kovalainen aboard a BMW M4 DTM
If the teams and drivers are to win this year’s titles, they have to be on their toes. Therefore, just as the previous race ended, the preparations for the next one began. The teams headed down to Lausitzring to start practicing.

This time though, they had a special guest around that was more than happy to test one of their cars: Heikki Kovalainen. The 32-year-old racing driver from Suomussalmi, Finland, took the wheel and didn’t let go until he finished a couple of laps behind it.

In case you didn’t know, Kovalainen raced in Formula 1 111 times between 2007 and 2013. He actually won his first Grand Prix on a track where the M4 DTM cars shone earlier this year, the Hungaroring. Back then (in 2008) he was joined on the steps of the podium by none other than Timo Glock, that finished right behind him.

“I was really looking forward to this interesting experience. To be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect as I have never driven a car like this. But I felt really comfortable in the BMW M4 DTM from the very beginning. It’s an impressive car,” said Heikki after his laps.

“Of course, it is heavier than a Formula One car and has less power, but the aerodynamics are very good and you can drive through corners very fast. The team helped me a lot to get used to everything. You can see that it is highly professional. I enjoyed the day very much,” he added.

The other drivers worked closely with the engineers to work out the final details before the race. Over the four days of training, the teams covered more than 3,000 km altogether, running on both option and prime tires.

“The test laps in the BMW M4 DTM went very well. I was able to complete over 500 kilometres and we had absolutely no problems with the car. Everything ran completely as it should do. I am very happy with the results of the tests. We were able to make some valuable findings,” said Marco Wittmann after the training session.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories