Question: Vitaly, you’ve just been announced as a Renault F1 Team driver. You must be thrilled…
Vitaly Petrov: Yes, absolutely! For me it was a very long winter and I felt rather nervous when I saw other drivers’ contracts signed one after another. But I always believed that one day it would by my turn, and now, thanks to the Renault F1 Team, this finally became a reality. When I first drove a Formula Renault 2.0 car back in 2003, I couldn’t imagine that one day I would drive for Renault in Formula One so this really is a dream come true. Now I just can’t wait to sit in the cockpit and do my very first lap in a Formula One car. I’m sure it will feel fantastic.
Question: Are you looking forward to working alongside Robert Kubica? Do you know him already?
Vitaly Petrov: I’ve followed Robert’s progress in Formula One for a couple of years and he’s a really nice guy. We’re both from Eastern Europe and we both like rallying and ice racing – so for me Robert is almost the perfect teammate. He’s been in Formula One for four years already and has won a race so I’m sure I can learn a lot from him. I know that Robert was keen for me to join the team so I’d like to thank him for his support.
Question: What are you most looking forward to this year?
Vitaly Petrov: I’m really looking forward to any wet races and the street circuits. That’s because I started my racing career in Russia competing in rally sprints and ice racing so I feel comfortable in slippery conditions. Also, I won my first GP2 race on a wet track in Valencia when I started on slicks on a damp track. But first I need to see what an F1 car feels like in the rain.
Question: What are your goals for the year ahead?
Vitaly Petrov: Òî learn as much as possible from this successful team and from Robert during the year. I’m so proud to be here and want to do the best job I can. When testing begins we will be able to judge where the R30 is in comparison with the other teams so before that it’s too early to set targets. All I can say is that I will try to be as close to Robert as possible and hopefully score points regularly for the team.
| 
|