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Question: Vitaly, congratulations: your first Formula One podium in your 20th grand prix start. Tell us how you are feeling right now?
Vitaly Petrov: To be honest, I am very happy to be here, sitting with these guys. All weekend was pretty good for us but after the test we did not know where we were. But when we came here we had some new parts, and from free practice our car looked very strong and also qualifying was not too bad. Then we just focused on our race and today the team did everything perfectly and we must be proud about our place today.
Question: You had a fantastic start, going from sixth up to fourth. But describe your feelings at the end when Fernando Alonso was catching you at a great rate of knots.
Vitaly Petrov: Well, he was still quite far. I could still control my drive and try to save the tyres, as in the final few laps my tyres started to go off. The start was not bad. I tried to attack Fernando but then I saw Jenson was in front so I must brake early, so I just release the brake and try to pass both of them. I think it was great.
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Question: Vitaly, what do you think about being on a podium in Formula One.
Vitaly Petrov: I am quite happy to be with these guys. Sitting here and also on the podium.
Question: Well a fantastic performance, but a fairly lonely race in many ways for you? Not too many people to battle with?
Vitaly Petrov: It is not true, as I watching Mark Webber in front. I tried to push as hard as I could, then he pit. I just tried to push to the maximum what I had on the tyres. Then also the same, we tried to pull away from Fernando, but then during the middle of the race I didn’t understand where I am and what I should do. My radio wasn’t working very well, but I just tried to save the tyres and push as hard as I can. I think everything was good.
Question: How much pressure from Fernando at the end?
Vitaly Petrov: It was not so much, just last lap maybe and he was still quite a way from me. Even if he wanted to attack me, he needed some time, but my tyres were still in quite good shape, so I could do a good pull-away from the last corner.
Question: At one time there was the possibility that you wouldn’t have your drive with Renault this year, and here you are on the podium.
Vitaly Petrov: Yeah, I’m really proud of this team and we’re on the podium now.
Question: Vitaly, your team boss, Eric Boullier said that you’d worked hard over the winter to make sure that you could finish races to your true potential. Can you explain what you did over the winter, and also,
does this show that you can now lead the team in place of Robert?
Vitaly Petrov: Winter testing was quite long. You know we have a new exhaust and we didn’t know how it would work. We spent quite a long time trying to understand the aerodynamics and a lot of things, and really when we came here we didn’t know where we are, we didn’t know how quick our car was, but it looks like we were quite strong, but not like these guys. We still need to continue to push the same way, work hard. In Malaysia we will have some new parts so we will see.
Question: Do you think you can lead the team in place of Robert?
Vitaly Petrov: I don’t think I need to answer anything. I think you can see and also…. Yes!
Question: Vitaly, the first time you saw your car and the aggressive design of the exhausts, were you thinking that you could get a podium so quickly?
Vitaly Petrov: No. It’s difficult to say. It’s racing. Qualifying is one story, racing is another story, so it can be everything. What happened today we will take and we can be quite happy but in qualifying it’s difficult to fight with these guys in front, but sixth position was quite a good result yesterday. I always believe because anything can happen in a race, as it happened today.
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