F1: Renault confirms Petrov

Renault F1 has confirmed Vitaly Petrov as team-mate to Robert Kubica in 2010.

Petrov, who finished as runner-up in the GP2 Series last season, will become the first Russian driver to race in F1 in the history of the sport and will make his debut for the team in this week’s first official test in Valencia.

The 25-year-old Petrov has raced in GP2 since 2006, having won titles in Russia in Formula 1600 and Lada Revolution. He also raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2007, sharing a Del Bello Racing LMP2 Courage with Liz Halliday and Romain Ianetta.

“This is a great opportunity for me and I’m really looking forward to working with the team this season,” Petrov said.

“I’ve always dreamed of racing in Formula One and so to make my debut with a top team like Renault is very exciting. The first race is just over a month away so I will make sure I spend as much time as possible with the team over the next few weeks so that I am fully prepared in time for Bahrain.”

New Renault F1 Team Principal Eric Boullier added: “This is a very special day for Vitaly and we welcome him into the team. As a rookie, we recognise that Vitaly will have a lot to learn this season, but his performances in GP2 last year were outstanding and confirmed that he is ready to make the step up to Formula One. With Robert alongside him, Vitaly has the perfect role model to learn from and I’m confident he will deliver on the promise he has shown throughout his career.”

Renault F1 also announced Ho Pin Tung, Jan Charouz and Jerome D’Ambrosio as its three reserve drivers for the new season.

Tung was a race-winner in Superleague Formula last season and also has experience in GP2, A1GP and F3. Charouz was Le Mans Series champion with Aston Martin Racing in 2009 and will race in World Series by Renault this year, while D’Ambrosio is the 2007 Formula Master champion who finished ninth in GP2 last year and returns to the category in 2010.

Keep up-to-date with the latest F1 news by watching Inside GP on Motors TV (Sky Channel 413, Virgin Media 545).


Andy Wilkinson