Ahead of the launch of McLaren's 2010 car, former driver Heikki Kovalainen has said that he felt he "didn't get everything out of the team" during his two years, a warning for the reigning champion Jenson Button, who replaced the Finn.
Kovalainen endured two disappointing seasons with the Woking team alongside Lewis Hamilton, taking just one win at the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix. But he was widely regarded as being given short shrift in the team that has been moulded around McLaren protégé Hamilton since he arrived in the sport.
And Kovalainen has indicated that he felt he wasn't always given the full commitment of the team during his time with the Mercedes-powered team.
The news that won't make happy reading for Button, who has been warned that he is entering the "lion's den" next season by gambling his reputation on going head-to-head with his countryman.
"We tried very hard with McLaren towards the end of my time there. It didn't work out. I don't want to get into the reason why too much, there's no point," Kovalainen mourned in an interview with the Reuters news agency today.
"I think I know why it didn't work out for me and I am starting from another place now and let's see how it works out."
He added that with 'Lotus', his new team for 2010, he will be looking to get the full commitment at all times.
"I am doing things differently at Lotus and my target is to get 100 per cent out of the team all the time. At McLaren I felt I didn't get everything out of the team."
Kovalainen will drive alongside Jarno Trulli in 2010, with the new Lotus car set to be launched on February 12th. He added that he had seen the car already and was impressed by it.
"It looks fantastic," Kovalainen added, "I don't expect it to be a rocket to start with but it looks really cool, people will be surprised when they see the car."
Lotus confirmed that their new test driver Fairuz Fauzy will shakedown the car after the launch, before the team head to the second Jerez test of the winter on February 17th.
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