Vitaly Petrov not sure to still be with LRGP in 2012
Vitaly Petrov stated a few days ago that he had a contract with the Lotus Renault Grand Prix team for the 2012 season, but Eric Boullier, the team director, hinted that nothing was finalized for the Russian driver.
Vitaly Petrov became the first Russian driver to take part in a Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix in early 2010, and while his career plan, devised by his manager – Oksana Kossatchenko – envisions him staying in F1 long term, this might involve a different team than Lotus Renault GP.
The British team has several drivers in its sights for 2012, Robert Kubica – if he has recovered enough to drive a Formula 1 car, Bruno Senna – who is excellently replacing Nick Heidfeld, Romain Grosjean – whom Eric Boullier, who is also his manager, would like to see in F1 soon, and of course Vitaly Petrov – who has a contract for 2012.
But Eric Boullier hinted during an interview with the Daily Mail that the Russian’s contract did not necessarily guarantee him a starting place for 2012: «You have contracts, but there are exit clauses for each party».
The French manager might be tempted to pair up Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean if Robert Kubica is unable to return to driving a Formula 1 car in 2012. Bruno Senna seems to have impressed with his two races for the LRGP team. The Brazilian driver secured two top 10 finishes in qualifying, even outpacing Vitaly Petrov at Spa-Francorchamps in his first race with Lotus Renault. He also scored two points at Monza and knows that nothing is certain yet, but his potential retention as a main driver depends on his on-track performances and possibly on the sponsors he can bring in. However, this doesn’t seem to be a problem for now, as four new sponsors appeared on the R31 during the Belgian Grand Prix following the Brazilian’s appointment.
The best way for me to drive next year is through my results on the track. The goal is to keep achieving good results and make my place in Formula 1, and to do this, the most important thing is to continue improving and learning, says Ayrton Senna’s nephew, quoted by the Daily Mail.
If the Russian driver were not to be retained by the Lotus Renault GP team, there is still a strong chance that he will find another full-time seat in Formula 1 for 2012, probably in a team powered by Renault, as the Russian automotive market is a growing market and this interests the French car manufacturer.
