Heikki Kovalainen, once a player on the F1 tracks, is making strides in his recovery after undergoing open-heart surgery. In March, it was revealed that the 42-year-old had to pause his rally racing pursuits when a routine medical evaluation uncovered an aortic enlargement. The necessary surgical intervention followed soon after.
Having taken a period to rest thoroughly, the Finnish driver, formerly with McLaren and Renault, resumed his role in Formula 1 by participating in the commentary during the recent Chinese Grand Prix weekend.
“The recovery is going very well in every way,” Kovalainen shared with Ilta Sanomat, “But recovery is a long process.”
Despite his progress, Kovalainen did not make it to Shanghai nor the Viaplay studios in person.
“It was nice to be with Viaplay over the weekend,” he remarked, “although not actually in front of the cameras yet. But I did feel fit enough to join a few sessions.”
“There’s still some small challenges with my voice – my throat is a bit irritated and that’s why I’m not participating in the studio sessions yet.”
“But my health has been good – no pain at all after the operation. In a couple of months, we’ll see how the situation looks with the doctors.”
GMM
