Kovalainen plays down Gascoyne’s criticism

Heikki Kovalainen has rejected Caterham technical boss Mike Gascoyne’s criticism.

Gascoyne, former F1 stalwart and now the technical boss of the entire Caterham Group, said this week that Finn Kovalainen harmed his chances of staying in F1 due to his poor management team and a lack of respect as he tried to move up the grid in 2013.

Kovalainen, 31, played down the comments.

"I have always had a good relationship with him (Gascoyne)," he said, "and my relationship with him will continue even now.

"Mike is a seasoned professional and he and I have worked together for a long time," Kovalainen told the Finnish broadcaster MTV3.

"The fact is that my negotiations are not with him. I talk to Tony Fernandes and Cyril Abiteboul.

"At the moment, the negotiations are continuing and I am not thinking about anything other than formula one. First, let’s finish playing the game until the end.

"Then, when we know the outcome, think about what to do next," added Kovalainen, who moved to Caterham (then Lotus) in 2010 after being dropped by McLaren.

Gascoyne this week confirmed Caterham is considering replacing Kovalainen with a sponsored driver.