Kovalainen not ready to be McLaren no. 2

Heikki Kovalainen

(GMM) Just as Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen is not keen to slip into the 'number 2' role to support his own teammate, so too countryman Heikki Kovalainen is not ready to take a back seat for the 2008 world championship.

At 33 points adrift his McLaren cohort Lewis Hamilton, the Finn cannot realistically claim to still be targeting the drivers' title.

But as for actively helping Briton Hamilton to win, 26-year-old Kovalainen counted himself out as he spoke with reporters at Spa-Francorchamps.

"I think the best help I could give would be to get ten points for the team at every race," he said. "That is my goal. Lewis does not need any assistance. He has already proved that."

Kovalainen undoubtedly helped Hamilton at Hockenheim, however, when he pulled over to let the sister MP4-23 continue his progress unimpeded.

"Clearly, if we are in that situation, when he has the faster car and I am having problems, then yes (I will help). But if everything is running normally, and the speed of the two cars is similar, then I will be fighting to the end to hopefully win."

He said he has not given up on winning the 2008 championship.

"I know my chances are not particularly good," Kovalainen acknowledged, "but I do not give up before the fight is over."