“I would be happy to finish my career at this team, to be honest.”

That’s what Heikki Kovalainen has said about McLaren. But why would he say that?

Presumably he’s expressing his delight in having his McLaren contract extended, despite a season which has been lacking in high points for Kovalainen. But this is only his second season in Formula 1, and he’s only 26 years old. It’s a bizarrely negative thing to even think about the end of his career, let alone talk about it – albeit just in passing.

But more than that, surely it puts Kovalainen in a weak position when it comes to contracts. If he’s so happy, and wants to stay there for ever and ever and ever, he’s in a very poor position to demand much in the way of money.

I’m sure that, as always, I’m reading far too much into a throwaway comment. But it’s still a very odd thing to say.