Heikki is fine, but couldn't run
Heikki Kovalainen, a driver seen in action in F1 from 2007 to 2013 with a victory under his belt as a McLaren driver in Hungary in 2008, continued his career in Japan by winning the Super-GT in the GT-500 class in 2016 with Lexus and has recently moved on to try his hand at rallies (in 2022 he immediately found success in the JN1 class, the highest level of the All-Japan Rally Championship). In 2024 he was supposed to participate in the championship with the Aicello team, but for now he had to raise the white flag for a health problem absolutely not to be underestimated.
“I was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm ascending during a recent medical check-up and was told I couldn't participate in rallies due to the increased risk of aortic rupture – explained Kovalainen – I have no symptoms and currently feel well, we are trying to figure out how to resolve the problem. Open heart surgery is the best solution at the moment and we are preparing. We hope to be able to carry out the operation and begin recovery as soon as possible.”
“When I heard this story from Heikki shortly before the start of the season, I was extremely shocked even in light of his family's concerns – added the team manager Hironobu Makino – Kovalainen was looking forward to this season more than anyone. Also to honor Heikki's commitment we decided to compete while waiting for him to return.”
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