Heikki Kovalainen is under pressure to perform to ensure that he hangs onto one of the plum seats on the F1 starting grid in 2010 – that is the clear message coming from McLaren-Mercedes team principal Martin Whitmarsh, who confessed that in terms of drivers, 'some nationalities from a marketing perspective are more convenient'.

Rumours have been doing the rounds within the grand prix paddock for some time that this season – Kovalainen's second at McLaren – could also be the his last, as the Finn has generally failed to build upon the patchy but promising form he demonstrated during his maiden campaign with the multiple world championship-winning, Woking-based outfit last year.

“Heikki is doing, as a team player, a fantastic job in this team,” the Englishman told Crash.net Radio, during a Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes 'phone-in' session ahead of this weekend's European Grand Prix in Valencia, where last year Kovalainen took the chequered flag fourth, more than half a minute adrift of runner-up Hamilton.

Whitmarsh: Kovalainen needs results to keep seat | F1 News | 2009 | Crash.Net