Sunday 11 May at 22:03 : Heikki Kovalainen on Sunday said he thinks he could have secured his maiden grand prix victory in Turkey.

After qualifying on the front row of the grid for the first time in his short career, the McLaren driver at Istanbul Park had to pit for a new tyre following a first corner tag from compatriot Kimi Raikkonen.

He then finished a lap down and out of the points despite a spirited fightback.

Unlike Lewis Hamilton, however, 26-year-old Kovalainen had started the race with a normal two-stop fuel load, with which he had even managed to outqualify his lighter teammate.

"I was on a similar strategy to Massa and believe that I could have won the race," the extremely disappointed Finn said after finishing just twelfth.

Despite his disappointment, Kovalainen was happy with his performance in Turkey.

"My qualifying was very good, and I think my strategy today would have been very strong. Talking about it doesn't do anything, though.

"It was my most competitive weekend," he insisted. "Hopefully I can continue in the same way."