GreenBkk.com Formula 1 | Vitaly Petrov Q&A: I want to end the season on a high

Vitaly Petrov Q&A: I want to end the season on a high

Renault’s Vitaly Petrov found himself centre of attention during last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as he kept Fernando Alonso at bay for lap after lap, thus playing a critical role in the outcome of the 2010 championship. This year, on the back of a tough weekend in India, he arrives at Yas Marina lying ninth in the drivers’ table, determined to haul himself back into the points and to finish his second season of Formula One racing in style…

Q: Now you’ve had some time to reflect, how was your first Indian Grand Prix?

Vitaly Petrov: It was certainly not an easy weekend for anyone. It was a new circuit, with new tarmac and corners which certainly were not very easy. It was difficult to find the right set-up, but we had a strong car. It took us a while to find the right balance, but we know this is never easy when venturing to a new track.

The car was pretty good and relatively fast in qualifying, but I made a mistake and didn’t get into Q3, which was poor. Add that to the five-place penalty and I had it all to do on the Sunday. In the race we were quick; quick enough to finish in the top eight, but it did not happen for us. We left India very disappointed, as we scored no points. I think we will be much better prepared when we go there next season.

Q: What do you think about the Abu Dhabi circuit?

VP: Abu Dhabi has a good atmosphere. It is a good track with a lot of spectators - even Russians - who come to watch the race. I do in fact quite like the track. It has smooth tarmac which might mean we start the weekend in slightly dirty conditions; we shall see how prevalent this is when we get to the track.

I am naturally inclined to say I don’t know if the circuit will suit our car. When we arrive and are able to observe how the tyres are working, we will know where we are placed relative to our rivals. I hope we show signs of speed, like we have at time during the past three races. The concern is we have not exploited the potential the car has shown at the crucial times. Of course, that is always the fine line between a successful outing on track or a less successful one. Overall, I am confident it can be a good race weekend.

Q: Last year you memorably kept Fernando Alonso behind you even though he was fighting for the championship win - what are your memories of that battle?

VP: That was last year, that’s history. Yes, it was a good race for me as I made no mistakes and drove really well. Combining that with the circuit layout meant that Fernando was unable to overtake me, even though his car was much quicker. It must have been very hard for him being stuck behind me for so long, but honestly it was not that difficult for me to keep him behind me. That sounds quite blase I know!

Q: What are your goals and targets for the final two races of the season?

VP: To score more points in these last few races - that is my first target. We have shown that we have good pace in high speed corners. We know we struggle with low-speed corners but if we can stay focussed, and put every ounce of effort into these last couple of weekends with no mistakes in qualifying or during pit stops, I think good results are attainable. I want to end the season on a high.

Credit: Formula One Administration Ltd (www.formula1.com)