McLaren warning for Heikki

Mclaren

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has told Heikki Kovalainen he must improve if he is to secure a new contract.

The Finn has had a disappointing season, scoring points in just three of his 10 races to date, and there is speculation that he will be released at the end of the season as his two-year deal comes to its end.

And while Whitmarsh is happy with Kovalainen’s efforts, he says results will need better to results if he is to ensure he remains on the team.

“Heikki is doing, as a team player, a fantastic job in this team,” he said on F1 Live.

“On his own evaluation, he hasn’t raced as well as he would have liked, and we would have liked him to, this year.

“He’s working hard.

“We are not in active discussions with any other drivers at the moment, but it’s true to say that we haven’t confirmed our driver line-up for next year.

“A lot of us want to see Heikki get some good results this year and that will ensure that he remains with us.”

Germany’s Nico Rosberg and Poland’s Robert Kubica are rumoured to be the leading candidates to team up with Lewis Hamilton.