fbc
Retired Moderator
Having confirmed Giancarlo Fisichella as a 2007 race driver last June, Renault announced this morning that current test driver Heikki Kovalainen, 24, will race alongside him in 2007.
Kovalainen has completed over 28,000 km of testing for Renault since 2004, and was runner up in the GP2 Series in 2005.
"I am thrilled to get the opportunity to race with a world champion team like Renault," said Kovalainen. "I have been a member of the Renault Driver Development programme since 2002, when I had the distant ambition of one day becoming an F1 driver. It is a fantastic feeling to have finally achieved that. My two seasons testing for the team, as well as my time in GP2, have allowed me to build my technical knowledge and to understand what it takes to win in Formula 1."
"I have also had the opportunity to show the team what I can do, and it is a great motivation to know that they believe in me," he added. "It will be a fantastic feeling to line up on the grid in Melbourne, but that is still a long way off. At the moment, I am totally focused on helping Renault win the 2006 championship."
From here
Well deserved too - I expect big things of Heikki - really looking forward to seeing how he goes.
Also, Piquet Jr & Zonta are Renault's test drivers for next year.
Ferrari are announcing their '07 line up on Sunday after the Monza race.