Lewis Hamilton's former F1 team-mate set to undergo heart surgery

Heikki Kovalainen looks on at McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton — Photo: © IMAGO

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Hamilton's former F1 team-mate set to undergo heart surgery

The Finn will have open-heart surgery

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 7 March 2024 11:59

A former team-mate of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is set to have open-heart surgery following a diagnosis of a serious medical condition.

Heikki Kovalainen drove alongside Hamilton at McLaren in 2008 and 2009, winning one race with the Woking-based team at the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix.

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The Finnish racing driver also drove with Renault, Lotus and Caterham during his stint in the sport, but could not add to that single race victory.

Now 42, Kovalainen has most recently featured in Extreme E, and made a brief appearance in the World Rally Championship.

Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton drove together at McLaren

Kovalainen health issues revealed

The Finn has now decided to step away from all motorsport activities to prioritise his health, having been diagnosed with an ascending aortic aneurysm, a condition affecting the arteries.

While the condition has not given Kovalainen any symptoms of suffering as of yet, he is set to go under the knife to rectify the problem with his arteries.

In a team statement from Japanese Rally Championship outfit AICELLO, with whom Kovalainen was going to race with in 2024, the 42-year-old revealed the news.

“I was diagnosed with ascending aortic aneurysm in a medical check-up recently and I was told not to be able to participate in rallies due to increased risk of aortic rupture," he explained.

Lewis Hamilton owned a team in Extreme E

"I have no symptoms and I’m currently feeling good, and we are now making a plan on how to solve this issue.

"An open-heart surgery is our favourable solution at the moment and we are preparing for that. We hope to get an operation done and start the recovery as soon as possible.

"My aim is of course to return to the Japanese Rally Championship with Rally Team AICELLO. I was planning to participate in the rallies until the end of January, but after careful consideration with my team of doctors I’ve decided to try and fix this issue instead.

"I’m sorry for all our team partners and fans for this problem and many thanks for all the encouragement and support regarding this."

Lewis Hamilton McLaren Hungarian Grand Prix Extreme E Heikki Kovalainen