Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring Cricuit

Finland's Heikki Kovalainen amply repaid the faith placed in him by his McLaren team this weekend, winning his maiden Grand Prix title in Hungary on Sunday just three days after agreeing a contract extension.

The 26-year-old, who had started to look like a mere helper for team mate Lewis Hamilton after managing just one podium finish all season, promptly produced his first Formula One win.

Kovalainen capitalised on a late Felipe Massa engine failure to steal the lead three laps from the end and was also able to steal the show from championship leader Hamilton who took fifth place after suffering a puncture in the race's middle section.

Although Massa's misfortune played a major factor in the Finn's triumph, Kovalainen certainly did his bit in recovering from a start where Massa stormed past both the McLaren drivers.

"I tried to push Felipe as much as possible at the end and when I saw a car on fire with big smoke coming out on the main straight I thought it must be Felipe -- but it was hard to believe.


_____
pic 1: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008
pic 2: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008

_____
pic 1: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008
pic 2: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008

_____
pic 1: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008
pic 2: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008

_____
pic 1: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008
pic 2: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008

_____
pic 1: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008
pic 2: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008

_____
pic 1: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008
pic 2: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008

_____
pic 1: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008
pic 2: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008

_____
pic 1: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008
pic 2: Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring F1, 2008