Kovalainen Can Cap Off Great Start for Mclaren

There was a Freudian slip - if such an expression can be applied to a choice of headgear - when the McLaren drivers did their post-qualifying interviews. Heikki Kovalainen wore a red baseball cap bearing the name of Lewis Hamilton, a rare mistake by McLaren's efficient public relations team, but one that summed up the role Kovalainen might have been expected to play in this morning's Japanese Grand Prix.

Team orders are not allowed in Formula One, a rule clearly respected by the McLaren drivers as they neatly side-stepped questions about Kovalainen, who had qualified third, assisting Hamilton after the Englishman had claimed an impressive and significant pole position. Both insisted they would run their own race, Kovalainen going so far as to say he would win if he could. But the significance of having the McLarens start one in front of the other - and on the cleaner side of the grid - was summed up by Hamilton anxiously checking who was joining him as the top three qualifiers came to a halt in the pit lane.

When a Ferrari drew alongside, Hamilton's only surprise was that it was driven by Kimi Raikkonen, the Finn qualifying on the front row for the first time since the French Grand Prix in June. Hamilton's delight was intensified when Kovalainen completed the trio and news filtered through that Felipe Massa was not only a comparatively lowly fifth, but also slower than Fernando Alonso's Renault. Going in to this morning's grand prix, with two more races to follow, Hamilton led Massa by seven points.

'That was a good feeling,' admitted Hamilton. 'I thought it might be the two Ferraris and me, but having Heikki qualify just behind me was just what we wanted.'

The unspoken feeling was that the McLaren drivers would work with Hamilton's championship as a priority. If Kovalainen could harass Raikkonen and allow Hamilton to make his escape, then so much the better. But Kovalainen, officially at least, played down such a suggestion.

'The best I can do for the team is try to score maximum points,' he said. 'There have been no instructions; you can't have them in F1. If I have a chance, I will try to win the race; no question about that.'

Kovalainen's words were probably shaped by the belief that, all things being equal, he would be unable to match his team-mate's pace. But, as F1 has shown with intriguing regularity this season, things are seldom equal and it remained to be seen just what would happen if Kovalainen found himself in the lead with Hamilton holding second place and unable to offer a legitimate challenge.

Such a dilemma would be something of a luxury for McLaren as they addressed the more important question of guessing what Ferrari might have in store. With Raikkonen's chances of retaining the championship no more than a slim, mathematical possibility, McLaren had expected Ferrari to qualify the Finn with a light load of fuel in order to get near the front. What they did not anticipate was Massa starting the race from the third row of the grid, yet another example of how this championship will turn on small, but unforeseen, details.

Although the practice session yesterday morning had been run in wet conditions, enough should have been learned in the dry on Friday to have Massa reasonably confident of qualifying on the front row. Everything had gone according to plan initially, but, as soon as a significant amount of fuel was added for the final part of qualifying, Massa felt as though he was driving a different car.

'It's a shame,' said Massa. 'Today I was the quickest man on track, but at the wrong moment.'

Adding to the sense of mild bewilderment within Ferrari, Raikkonen had experienced exactly the opposite, as a car that had been difficult to drive when running with next to no fuel on board suddenly became competitive when, as required by the regulations, enough fuel for the first phase of the race was added for the final part of qualifying.

'It's nice to be back at the front,' said Raikkonen. 'It's a good place to be. It's not going to be easy against McLaren, but I've got nothing to lose. I'm going to try to win the race and see what happens after that.'

There may be only two more races - China next Sunday and Brazil on 2 November - but Raikkonen will recall that he left this race last year trailing Hamilton by 17 points and still managed to snatch the title.

Whatever way the points add up, Kovalainen knows his chances of winning the series have long gone. The Finn went into this morning's race aware that he could influence, surreptitiously or otherwise, the outcome of the championship. If the cap fits, wear it.