Vitaly Petrov

[Mark H]

Lotus Renault GP Race Driver, Car No. 10

Vitaly Petrov enters his second season of Formula 1 determined to build on the promise

shown during his rookie season. The 26-year-old from Vyborg got his F1 break with the

Renault F1 Team off the back of a successful GP2 career, having raced in both the GP2

Series and GP2 Asia Series. He enjoyed his most successful campaign in 2009, finishing as

the GP2 Series runner-up with two victories. Prior to that he raced in European Formula

Renault, as well as various national championships in Russia. As the only Russian ever to

race in Formula 1, he carries the expectations of a nation and for 2011 has set his sights

firmly on realising the potential he showed during 2010.

Key details:

Date of birth: 8 September 1984

Place of birth: Vyborg, Russia

Nationality: Russian

Key dates:

1998 – 2001: Russian Rally Sprint and Ice Racing

Vitaly started his racing days competing in rally sprints and ice racing. He was crowned

Russian Rally Sprint champion in 2001.

2001 - 2002: Russian Lada Cup, Russian VW Polo Cup, Formula Russia 2.0

Vitaly competed in various national championships in Russia and won the Russian Lada Cup

with a 100% winning record.

2003 – 2004: Italian & European Formula Renault

A dual campaign in Italian Formula Renault and the Eurocup provided further experience in

single-seaters. He also raced in the Russian Sports Car Championship, finishing as vicechampion.

2005: Russian F1600 and Russian Sports Car Championship

Another campaign in Russian Sports Cars saw Vitaly win nine races to be crowned

champion. He also won the Russian Formula 1600 Championship.

2006: GP2 Series and Euroseries 3000

A part-time campaign in GP2 was combined with the Euroseries 3000 where Vitaly finished

third in the championship with five wins. He also raced in Italian Formula 3000, ending the

year in third place with four wins to his name.

2007: GP2 Series

Vitaly’s first full year in the GP2 Series with Campos Racing brought him his first GP2 victory

in Valencia.

2008: GP2 Series and GP2 Asia Series

Again racing for Campos, Vitaly took part in the inaugural GP2 Asia Series, winning one race

and finishing third in the championship. A further victory in Valencia followed in the GP2

Series as he finished the championship in seventh place.

2009: GP2 Series and GP2 Asia Series

A fourth season in GP2 with Barwa International Addax Team proved to be Vitaly’s most

successful as he finished runner-up in the GP2 Series having taken two victories during the

season.

2010: Formula 1, Renault F1 Team

Vitaly’s rookie season in Formula 1 was a steep learning curve. He scored points in his fourth

race in China and achieved his best result at the Hungarian Grand Prix with a 5th place finish.

Fast facts about Vitaly

- His first ever racing car was a Lada, but first road car was Volkswagen Golf 1.2

- Away from the track he enjoys martial arts like Judo and Taekwondo

- He collects packs of playing cards from the places he has visited around the world

- After finishing his Formula 1 career he wants to be a rally driver

- His sporting hero is Mohamed Ali

- He was recently included in the top ten list of most attractive single men in Russia by

a lifestyle magazine

Vitaly Petrov: “Determined to do well and fight hard”

The 26-year-old Russian looks ahead to his second year of Formula 1 as he aims to build on

a character-building 2010 season.

Vitaly, you’re entering your second season of Formula 1 as a Lotus Renault GP driver.

How does it feel?

I’m really proud to be here and I hope together we can achieve some great things. The team

has shown a lot of faith in me and it’s my chance to show everybody that they were right to

believe in me.

Do you feel ready to deliver?

Everybody knows that 2010 was not that easy for me, but after a year in Formula 1 I feel

more confident and ready to face the challenge of 2011. I know what I need to change, where

I can improve and I’m determined to do well and fight hard for this team.

You’re no longer a rookie and you’ve seen how Formula 1 works. Will that change your

approach this season?

2010 was a long season and I learned a lot, so it’s natural that I will come back with more

experience and as a better driver. I now understand how difficult Formula 1 is on every level

and I know that even a small mistake can have a big impact on your weekend. My focus this

year is to make sure I put everything together, maximise all the sessions and stay

concentrated all weekend long.

What do you think about the new rule changes that have been introduced this year?

I think it’s good for Formula 1 and I know that the team has been working for a long time to

make sure we get the most from the new technology on the car. For me it will be more things

to learn and adapt to because I’ve never used KERS before and the adjustable rear wing is

new for everyone. But I think the biggest challenge is getting used to the new tyres and a big

part of winter testing will be trying to understand them. I think this is the biggest task facing

the team.

What goals do you have in mind this season?

That’s always a very difficult question to answer, especially before the start of winter testing.

And even when you start testing, it’s difficult to know who is really the strongest and how you

compare. It’s only when we get to the first race in Bahrain that we will find out who has done

the best job over the winter. So it’s difficult for me to set objectives until we know the facts.

How have you prepared for the new season?

I went home to Russia for a holiday with my family and friends. It was a chance to simply

relax and switch off for a while. Then, I started doing some training, things like football and

even some cross-country skiing to maintain my fitness. At the start of January I moved to

England and I’ve been spending a lot of time in Enstone with the team. I think this is important

because it helps strengthen my relationships with the engineers, mechanics and the people

around me. By living near the factory and being there during the week, I hope that I can be as

prepared as possible for the new season.

 

This post has been promoted to an article