Former Hamilton team-mate shares update after undergoing open heart surgery

Heikki Kovalainen has shared a positive update after undergoing open heart surgery earlier this year.

The Finn, who was Lewis Hamilton's team-mate at McLaren during the Briton's first title-winning campaign of 2008, was diagnosed with an ascending aortic aneurysm in the heart.

This means that the aorta, the main artery in the body, is bulging with an aneurysm, a weak spot within the blood vessel wall. It increases the likelihood of a potential rupture which can lead to internal bleeding and could prove fatal.

The condition of 2008 Hungarian GP winner Kovalainen was caught early, meaning surgery was possible to fix the issue, with Kovalainen taking to Instagram to share an update on his condition post-surgery.