Thursday 8 May at 15:22 : At a mandatory FIA medical examination at Istanbul Park on Thursday, McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen was declared fit to contest the Turkish grand prix following his massive crash and hospitalisation at Barcelona two weeks ago.

"I feel 100 per cent, and if I had not felt 100 per cent I would have told the team already and stayed at home," the Finn, 26, said.

Kovalainen explained that his light concussion and delay in returning from Spain did not adversely affect his preparation for this race, adding that he has done "a lot of fitness training" in Finland in recent days.

Outside the Medical Centre at the circuit, he happily posed with the 'thumbs up' for photographers and gave interviews to the media.

"I think the accident probably looked worse than it was for me. I had a little headache but was back in training almost immediately," Kovalainen explained.