Sunday report: Lotus Renault GP – Petrov brings a smile to his team

Mixed results for the Lotus Renault GP team. Vitaly Petrov was competitive throughout the weekend and ended on a high note by securing third place, but Nick Heidfeld was not as inspired as his young teammate.

Author of a very good start, he moved from 18th to 12th place. The German was hit in the first lap, which damaged his car and compromised the rest of his race. He will need to do better in Malaysia; the R31 seems to have the potential.

Vitaly Petrov – 3rd:

I am happy to be on the podium, especially after the winter we had, which was difficult. During the tests, we didn’t really know where we were compared to the others, but we kept putting new parts on the car this weekend, and they worked very well.

I got off to a very good start today, which was probably the key to my race because I found myself ahead of Alonso and Button, allowing me to have a clear field and attack.

Our two-stop strategy was clearly the right decision. I have to thank everyone in the team for the work done and for the support provided over the winter. This result is for all of us.

Nick Heidfeld – 14th:

It was a difficult race today. I’m obviously disappointed not to finish in the points, but it just wasn’t possible, especially after my collision on the first lap. It’s a shame because I had a good start from 18th position and was 12th at the first corner.

The damage to the car was significant, especially on the right side. So it wasn’t a good race for me. But I’m happy for the team and for Vitaly who got an excellent result today. It shows that we have a competitive car and that we can fight hard this season.

Eric Boullier – Team Principal:

Today’s podium is a big reward for all the work that has been done by the whole team and I am obviously very happy. It shows that the decision to be aggressive with the car’s design was the right decision.

The performance of Vitaly was very strong and shows that we can achieve good results this season. In fact, I have no doubt that our two drivers can fight at the front in the upcoming races and that we can build on the competitiveness we have shown this weekend.