Petrov thinks that women have no place in F1
The last-minute guest of the 2012 season, Vitaly Petrov, tries to justify his presence in Formula 1 by comparing his situation to that of Fernando Alonso.
The surprise was significant when the announcement of Vitaly Petrov’s appointment in place of Jarno Trulli at Caterham was made.
Certainly, it was known that the financial backing of the Russian driver was of great interest to Tony Fernandes’ team, but in this respect, Petrov is no different from other drivers, like Alonso for example: « I see no difference between myself and Alonso. Everyone knows he brings significant funding from Santander bank. In any case, if you’re in Formula 1, it’s because you have talent. »
The Russian driver, formerly with Lotus-Renault, comments on Jarno Trulli’s dismissal and has a strong opinion on the absence of Italian drivers in the discipline this year: « I am not sorry for Trulli. Life is tough. If there are no more Italian drivers in F1, it’s because they lack passion. »
Outspokenness seems to be a conviction for Petrov, and he does not hold back in responding to Luca di Montezemolo, the president of Ferrari, who recently pointed out that aerodynamics played too important a role in the design of modern single-seaters: « When you don’t win, it’s easy to complain. »
To conclude, Vitaly, who admits to loving Italy for its food and its women, makes a rather unflattering judgment on a potential female presence in Formula 1: I think they don’t have the physical capacity and are not prepared to handle high speeds. But in life, anything is possible.
