McLaren to stick with current driver line-up next season

Good news for fans of Heikki Kovalainen: the popular Finn will stay at McLaren in 2009, the team revealed at the Hungaroring today.

His contract was for one guaranteed year (2008), but with an option for McLaren to renew.

“We welcomed Heikki on board at the start of the year. He is under contract and will race for us in the 2009 season,” McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh confirmed.

This decision makes sense. Everyone at McLaren seems to like and rate Kovi - Lewis Hamilton included. There’s no point ditching him after just one season - but if he fails to deliver in the first half of 2009 - that means regular podiums - then he’ll lose his seat, we have no doubt about that.