Despite an impressive CV from single-seater racing, Finland's Heikki Kovalainen has thus far failed to shine as brightly as many predicted he would, but after a somewhat difficult start to his F1 career there should be more to come. His pre-F1 highlights include winning the Nissan World Series in 2004 and beating Michael Schumacher in the Race of Champions the same year. Then, after finishing runner-up to Nico Rosberg in the inaugural GP2 series in 2005, Heikki spent 2006 as Renault's official test driver, and in the days of bottomless budgets, benefitted from regular in-season tests.

Following Alonso's defection to McLaren in 2007, Kovalainen graduated to a race seat, and after struggling compared to team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella early in the season, he soon found his feet, and by mid-season was beginning to consistently outperform the Italian. His progress culminated in a superb second-place finish at that year's Japanese Grand Prix in monsoon conditions, almost denying fellow countryman Kimi Räikkönen the world championship in the process. Impressive for his rookie season, his only retirement of the year came at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix, when he spun off on lap 35.

Sadly it's been all downhill for Heikki since his super-human effort in Japan. A move to McLaren to partner their prodigal son Lewis Hamilton put him in one of the grid's best cars, but has rarely been given freedom on qualifying fuel to compete at the front, despite the team insisting equal status between their drivers. In 2008 Heikki was fuelled ligher than Hamilton only once, when he took pole at Silverstone, while in 2009 on the five occasions both qualified in the top 10, Lewis was fuelled lighter on all occasions.

Even with the heavier fuel-loads, Kovalainen's qualifying pace has never been in doubt. When the car is capable of it, Heikki more often than not manages to extract all he can from the car. In race conditions however, his pace drops away, subtly. At Monza in 2008, he was unable to convert his front-row grid slot into a victory, instead getting beaten by Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel, while a race-winning strategy also went unconverted at Monza in 2009.

His first season with the team in 2008 saw Hamilton successfully challenge for the title, as Heikki struggled to get to grips with McLaren in race trim. Outstanding qualifying efforts were followed by uninspiring points-scoring finishes, with just one podium in the first half of the season. He then became the sport's 100th driver to win a race when Felipe Massa's late-race retirement in Hungary handed him the ten points, before taking his last podium to date in Italy behind Vettel.

With a dog of a car to start the season in 2009, Kovalainen made the best of a bad job, and took an admirable fifth place at Shanghai in the wet, beating Hamilton. A comibnation of crashes, reliability issues and driver errors saw him retire from five races in the first half of the year, before McLaren got their act together and challenged at the front.

Even then however, he was found wanting. While Hamilton was busy gather race wins and podium finishes, Kovalainen has been unable to get close to the 2008 world champion. Even as a number two at McLaren, he has largely failed to live up to expectations. With McLaren looking to bolster their line-up ahead of a championship challenge in 2010, Kovalainen is likely to lose his seat, and not before time.

A move to Toyota had been mooted before the manufacturer pulled the plug on its F1 operations and the Finn is now likely to move to one of the sport's four new teams for next year.

Decade highs:
Racing to second at the rain-soaked 2007 Japanese Grand Prix
Winning the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix, albeit after race leader Felipe Massa retired just three laps from the finish

Decade lows:
Unfulfilled promises at McLaren, likely costing him his seat.

2010s?
Undoubtedly talented and experienced enough to stay in F1 in 2010, but unlikely to be a championship challenger any time soon. However, if given the team-leader role at a team, he could flourish as he showed at Renault.