Heikki Kovalainen has confirmed that he requires open-heart surgery du🦋e to a problem with his a🌼orta.

The former F1 driver has been diagnosed with ascending ao🌟rtic aneurysm.

It is a condition which means Kovalainen is not suffering any symptoms. But a medical test before a rallying event ಞrevealed that he had an issue.

The condition is a bu﷽lge in the artery closest to the heart. If untreated it can rupture which would be life-threatening.

Kovalainen, now 42, told : "At the end of last s꧃eason, I decided to have a thorough physical examination at ꦛthe doctor.

"The idea was to check that no 𒉰bigger problem was found, but then this was revealed.

"It's a hereditary disease that I can't do anything about.༺ It's good that it was discovered now. 

🌜"Usually, this prob𒁃lem is asymptomatic, except when it first occurs."

Kovalainen is now a rally car driver who has put ☂on hold his plans to enter the 2024 Japanese Rally Championshipꦅ.

From 2007 to 2013 he raced in Formula 1, racking up 112 entriesꦏ.

T༒he 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix was h𝔍is sole victory.

He was the teammate of Lewi🍸s Hamilton at McLaren in 2008.

Kovalainen also drove fo🧸r Renault, Team Lotus, Caterham and Lotus F1.