Former F1 driver Heiki Kovalalenen will soon undergo a major, life-saving thoracotomy operation.
In 2006, Corvalenen became the No. 3 driver of the Renault team, that is, the test driver, and the general manager of the Renault team, Briatoli, immediately became his biggest "fan" after the test of Kovalenen, because Briatoli also had a discerning eye for Alonso, and the Renault team once regarded him as the "Prince of Renault", expecting him to become the next Alonso.
In 2007, Kovalenen became a regular Renault driver, scoring 30 points and finishing 7th among drivers. In 2008, Kovalelinen joined McLaren as a team-mate of Hamilton, and on 3 August, he won the Hungarian Grand Prix for the first and only time in his career.
The 42-year-old Finnish driver was found to have aortic dilation during a medical examination in November last year, according to Iltalehti, Finland. "At the end of last season, I decided to go to the doctor for a thorough physical examination. My idea was to check if there was a big problem, and then the doctor found out about it," Kovalelinen also told Iltalehti, who has a family history of aortic dilation: "It's a hereditary disease and there's nothing I can do about it. Luckily I caught it early. ”
Aortic dilation, also known as an aortic aneurysm, usually has no symptoms at all until the aorta ruptures, and once it ruptures, the chances of survival are almost zero. The cause may be congenital or related to a bulge due to atherosclerosis.
In the history of world sports, many athletes have died unexpectedly due to rupture caused by aortic dilation, the most famous of which is the world's No. 1 heavy gunner, who was once as famous as Lang Ping, American women's volleyball player F.. On January 24, 1986, Hayman suddenly collapsed on the field during training and was taken to the hospital to leave this world forever at the age of 31. After examination, the "culprit" that led to Heyman's sudden death was the rupture of the aorta.
However, if diagnosed early, tragic outcomes can be avoided and surgery can reduce the risk of aortic rupture. Finnish ice hockey legend Teppo Numinen (Teppo Numinen) had a similar situation to Kovalenen, who signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres in 2007-08, but was diagnosed with a congenital valve defect and was forced to undergo surgery to stay off the court, but after heart surgery and a long period, Numinen returned to the NHL and signed a one-year contract extension with the Buffalo Sabres until 2009.
Kovalenen's last appearance in Formula 1 was in the 2013 season, when he competed in the US and Brazilian Grand Prix as a substitute for Raikkonen, who had undergone back surgery at Lotus. At the end of the 2013 season, Kovalenen left Formula 1 and has been active in rally racing ever since.
Since his diagnosis in November last year, Kovalainen has been banned from all physical activity, including driving a race car, even a slightly more strenuous long-distance run. As soon as he received his diagnosis, he began follow-up examinations and traveled to Japan to talk to professionals, and eventually, he and his doctors were inclined to have a thoracotomy, he said. It is reported that the surgery to be performed by Kovalenen was not easy, and the heart stopped beating during the hours-long operation.
The possibility is on my side," Kovalenen said, "but if I can't continue playing after surgery, so be it." My first goal is to get back to normal life. ”
Good luck and all the best.