general idea is: Petrov will be giving his seat on some Fridays to third driver. All in accordance to the contract. He will still have no salary (as in previous years). Also had a chance to be a third driver in Lotus, but his manager rejected such variant. Also she was asked whether it was him who made a decision: to be 3rd driver in good team or main in a weak one, she sad it wasn't him who made a decision.
ZitatIn the interview with "Motor" - the first for the Russian press after signing a contract with the Caterham - Vitaly Petrov has told of how difficult was the parting with a former team, how long outgoing winter seemed, and how important it is for him now ... to learn playing golf.
Our conversation took place on racetrack near Barcelona, in the evening of 22nd February - after Petrov tested Caterham CT01 for the first time, a car, which he will drive in 2012. This will be the third for a season in Formula 1 and the first - in the new team.
He has changed. I can not say how much stronger he became a pilot, how much better he is now working with engineers, or if he became physically fitter. But I've seen how Petrov-source has changed over the past two years,.
Learning to communicate with the press - one of the biggest challenges for the pilot of Formula 1. The fact that this science was hard for Petrov, is known to almost everyone. But now everything is different. If at the beginning of his career in F1 Petrov could "deal" with any interview in five minutes, now he has learned to respond in such a way as it should be done by the pilot of the world championship: do it long, confident and, in fact, to say anything really important.
Before we were left alone at a table in Caterham motorhome, Vitali gave an interview to a group of foreign journalists. There is no point to copy those questions and answers here: quotes from such meetings are immediately scatter across the network and easy to find. In the "English" part of the conversation with Petrov only one interesting topic was affected essentially: "There was a moment this winter when you thought that you could be out of Formula 1?" "Yes, - said Vitaly to British journalist. - I was afraid of that. I didn’t want to miss a year. Come back after would be very difficult. These three months - a very difficult time. Because I didn’t know what I would do: drive or stay home. "
Once we were alone, for the first eight minutes of our conversation I asked just two questions. Because the answer can be named ‘the most detailed’ in the career of Vitali. And perhaps the most outspoken. Q.- How surprising to you was the decision by a former team to cease cooperation? A.- This is a very difficult moment. I had a feeling, "back thought", that the team started to treat me a little bit wrong. I do not know what the word is properly called - can be "squeezing out". Of course, it is unpleasant. Because, first of all, it started at the very end of the championship, when we had a hard time with my manager to find another option. We really had very high expectations with the team. And I would say we had it not bad in 2011. Yes, there were problems. Yes, the huge responsibility fall on me (after Robert Kubica trauma - author's note). But I'm not complaining. I tried to do the job one hundred percent. And I think that I was doing it with dignity. I would not say perfect, but good at the maximum level. Ideally, you can work only with one hundred percent match of all factors: the machine must be great, and the pilot and crew.
Was it possible to show better result? Because the car had a revolutionary "front exhaust" that didn’t prove to be successful, the team lost momentum. - At first, even the engineers could not figure out what exactly was the problem. Tried to find some explanation for the fact that the machine didn’t show speed that they had expected, including in the actions of the pilots. - So on the one hand, I was surprised by the need to leave the team. And at the same time - almost ready for this step. Naturally, I was upset. In the first place, because I had already worked well with team. I know many people ther. There are a strong engineers, a very strong personal team - the people with whom we worked last year. This is the highest professionals. We had a super relationship with my team of engineers: Ayo, Julian, Iñaki, mechanics ... I would like to achieve something with them. But life turned out differently. At first I was very upset. Did not want to do anything. But then gradually realized that everything that is done - for the better. Once you had to change the future drastically, you analyze the reasons, gathering thoughts, energy…I continue my career. Now it is important to prove to myself what I can. Also, I remember that there are other people behind me who made Russia's presence in Formula 1 possible. I am very much obliged to them. Q.- Team owner Gerard Lopez in an interview said that this separation should be a lesson to you. A. - I mean, his words can be interpreted in different ways ... to everything in the Formula-1 you can find fault. I do not argue, I had errors. I do not deny it. I'm not saying that I was "golden boy" or that "I had an outstanding season." We've all had difficult moments. But I never allowed myself to blame on the team ... all the more so, everyone understood that virtually deadlocked with the concept of the front exhaust. Something had to be changed urgently. Speed dropped sharply during the season and we had to squeeze 120 percent out of the car just trying to get into the third segment of the qualifications to finish in the top ten. Probably, it was necessary to redo a lot in the car at this point, but it was clearly not enough time for a complete restructuring of the car is. - Of course, earlier, when the first Grand Prix we are could go easily in the top ten, there was no pressure from the bosses. Only positive feedback. After ten races we already started to squeeze 120 per cent out of the car, were already on the brink - were attacking in the bends almost to the sand, to use every inch of the route and thus snatch at least a few extra hundreds and get into the third part of the qualifying... of course, in these conditions the risk of making a mistake increases.
(not a question, just a remark in the article by the journalist) And then began the interview by Eric in the style of "The pilot made a mistake" ... In my opinion, this one-sided assessment of the situation.
- If you recall, 2010 was very good. I would give a team - all boys – top mark for the year. Because they have worked very productively. Robert [Kubica] was very good. I understand that I made mistakes, I was a rookie. But the team as a whole did a great job. They made a big step forward during the championship. Every weekend, updates were brought - installed new front wings, rear - everything ... And all these new items worked as they should have worked. The car always reacted correctly - the speed was increasing. In 2011, the year ... It was obvious - to us within the team, reporters, even fans, - the team started the season well but gone a bit downhill. We started to fall. Perhaps, at this point we had to sit down to discuss everything with the engineers, with the leadership, with the owners. But this did not happen.
- Then the pressure began... And my patience ran out. I certainly did not praise myself for that interview, which I gave in Abu Dhabi. I understand that it was unacceptable to put that criticism on the team. But I was at that time on the nerves. I really wanted to make progress, some improvement, squeezed everything out of the car and was expecting support from the team. I knew that we could turn the tide, but to achieve this it was necessary to work all along ... even if something goes wrong, it goes wrong in the whole team. And not just the pilot. I think at the end of the season Gerard simply tired of searching for explanation to everything going on and he decided that we must change everything. It's his job. We talked after the season; I tried to explain how I saw the further development of the team and what I could do for the team. But something didn’t work out.. Q.- Tony Fernandez, as well as Gerard Lopez, is a successful businessman. How similar they are, and what's the difference? A. - Of course, they are different people. But it’s still hard to compare them, because Tony and I talked one day only. Everything was nice, good, but for serious conclusions we have to wait. I understand his targets, I like his tenacity. In any case, it will be interesting to work on his team. Q.- Have you not asked for a Caterham Seven? A.- No. But I drove it - I had testing at Silverstone. When I first started to participate in European racing, and did not know the configuration of the track, then learnt it at the wheel of Caterham. Very lightweight machine, accelerating perfectly. Interesting. But how to drive it in Vyborg – can’t imagine. Q. - Tony loves golf - have you bought clubs? A. - When I lived in Spain - I had training, I went to a couple of golf lessons. But wasn’t carried away. Now, I think it will try again. So, when we play I wouldn’t look sad in the background ... Q. - Heikki Kovalainen, your new partner, they say, plays well... A. - I know that they play together. Golf - it's not for everybody. I, myself, do not belong to those. Perhaps, we should work out a couple of weeks - to see whether I like it or not. Q. - But you play football, while Fernandez has a football team. Maybe ask for a training day? A. - If I have time and he doesn’t mind - why not? Moreover, a team is British, will not need to travel far. If they agree, I'll be happy to go for a training. Not to play, of course ... Because my sport is more important to me than fractured legs. Q.- How does it work with new race engineer, Gianluca Pisanello? A.- I knew the Caterham engineers only by reviews of other people. Gianluca is very experienced - here [in the team] there is enough experienced professionals. Despite the fact that team is young, many of them have long been working in Formula 1. The main thing now - to understand how we will work with Gianluca, what we want from each other. Behind only the first day, but it seems to be so far so good. There is no misunderstanding, everything is working. Q. - Four test days before the season – is it not enough? A.- Of course, this is not enough. Especially when in such a short time you need to learn the team, the behavior of the machine, to have time to work with the settings. Of course, it will be difficult. I want more tests. But rules are rules. Q. - How important is it for you the presence of sporting director Steve Nielsen? After all, you worked with him for almost two full years at Renault, and it turns out, almost simultaneously came to Caterham. A.- He is a very strong specialist. Steve knows a lot, including all the rules thoroughly - and this is a huge amount of information. I am very pleased that the man with whom I worked before, now there. We have a really great relationship, have much in common. Q. - I talked to him ... He said that you like “good old friends." A. - Of course! We can talk to him on any topic. Openly. We have no secrets. Q. - Steve said, do not expect that in the first races of the season Vitali will be as competitive as Heikki. He said that you can go just as quickly only after four Grand Prix. Do you agree? A.- Probably, yes. Because it really is a team of Heikki. He knows the car, he knows it thoroughly: steering, brakes, downforce levels - he followed the development of the machine. If we both get in the new car of my former team, then of course I would be going faster than he. Because I know how everything works there. Now I need a little time to adapt everything for myself - not only machine settings, but also the work of engineers. Heikki just will not give me a quiet life. He is very smart, very fast - everybody knows it. I'm glad I had the chance to work with him. We have got along well - I'm happy how relations are developing in the first two days of tests. I hope we will continue in the same spirit. Q.- How fast could you deal last Friday with the buttons on the steering wheel that is new to you? A. – Steering wheel is actually almost the same that was in previous year. The next season it will change - we know what we want to do, how to change the structure, the position of the buttons. Its designing has just started, to appear in the next year. Now, there are some difficulties, because in this year's car KERS appeared, and so far the location of the buttons can’t be called optimal. But I do not think it will cause some serious problems. It’s all right. Q.- I have one last question. A little over two years from the moment you first sat behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car. Whatever advice you could give that two-year-old Vitaly Petrov? A. - I think the first piece of advice - do not need to stop there. You should always get what you want and what you ask. When I was in a Renault, I had insist on what was important to me as a pilot, from day one to. Express my opinions openly. I,may be, was sometimes a little shy to say things harder on things I was not happy with in the car. - Any other tips? Hard to say. I think of all that has happened to me over the past two years, I can make something for myself. Some lessons. But the main lesson - do not stop there. Never, in anything: work with the machine, with telemetry, with engineers. Even with journalists - in all areas. We must always keep moving forward.
Caterham’s Vitaly Petrov will get to drive a Formula One car on home soil later this month when he takes part in a demonstration run for the team at the World Series by Renault (WSR) event at Volokolamsk, near the Russian capital of Moscow.
"I get a lot of positive emotions every time I visit Russia, and much more so at events where there are fans,” Petrov told Caterham’s website. “I think this is really important as not many of them can visit a Grand Prix and television pictures do not provide the complete atmosphere of Formula One.”
Petrov will also be taking competition winners for hot laps of the new circuit, which is hosting a WSR meeting for the first time on July 14-15, in a Renault Megane RS.
"I hope to give a lot of positive emotions to spectators during the upcoming demo runs in the Moscow region and I invite all motorsport fans to visit the World Series by Renault meeting - there will be a lot of fun!" he added.
ZitatNatalie Pinkham @NataliePinkham “@newmotoring: @NataliePinkham Oh and take a look at this... @SkySportsF1 @vitalypetrovrus @TWCaterhamF1 http://t.co/MWtXFXzb
ZitatVitaly Petrov's position as Russia's F1 flagbearer has suffered another blow after it was revealed that he has lost the support of the national government, one of his biggest financial backers.
Whether this is the setback that caused Petrov's manager, Oksana Kosachenko, to suggest earlier this week that the Caterham driver could disappear from the grid next season, or a fresh blow, isn't clear but, without the support of some of the countries biggest companies, the task of keeping his seat becomes a lot tougher. Petrov is the only Russian driver to appear in the top flight, despite others such as Mikael Aleshin hovering on the fringes, and has raced for Renault and Caterham during his three years, but counts heavily on the likes of car maker Lada and Russian Helicopters, both owned at least in part by the government, to pay his way.
He was back in Russia during the recent summer break, carrying out responsibilities for Russian Helicopters, as he revealed during Thursday's press conference at Spa, but it is now thought to have heard that they will not continue backing him beyond this season.
“We have now lost government support,” Kosachenko told RIA Novosti, “There's never been interest from [private] sponsors. I've always said that it's impossible to find sponsors in Russia for a project like F1. When there was support at the top level of government, this project worked commendably.”
Ironically, even the main private sector sponsorship that Petrov does bring to Caterham, from chemical company Sibur, brings with it close links to the Kremlin.
“I don't rule out a scenario in which we have to end this Russian driver's competition in F1,” Kosachenko continued, backtracking somewhat on previous claims that she was in negotiation with at least three other teams with a view to extending Petrov's stay in the top flight