Heikki Kovalainen refuses to change his stance on paying to drive in Formula 1, even if it costs him a potential seat for the 2014 season.
The Finnish driver lost his seat at Caterham following the 2012 season after he refused to find sponsors to pay for him to remain there.
Whilst he admits his goal is to get back into the sport as a full-time driver, he insists he will not go as far as some drivers, by paying for the opportunity.
“I think it’s important to get back racing, that’s clearly my goal, but I really don’t know whether the chances are good or not,” he told Autosport.
“The fact is that I will not bring money, everyone knows that, and if that’s going to be an obstacle again then it’s out of my hands.”
He wants to prove he has the abilities to earn a drive through talent alone and admits he wasted his ‘big break’ at McLaren in 2008 and 2009 when he was completely outshone by Lewis Hamilton.
“I had a good opportunity with McLaren, I didn’t make the most of it, but I’m not willing to give up quite yet. I’m working on turning that round, to prove myself again here to everyone.
“I haven’t worried about other drivers bringing in money and taking the places. I’ll try to find other ways, and I’ll try to convince people based on another way, purely on performance and the things that I do and how I do things. Whether that will work or not I don’t know.”
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