Vitaly Petrov wants to fight for points

It became, on the occasion of the opening round of the world championship of F1 in Bahrain, the first Russian driver to take part in a Grand Prix. But in three races, all ending in unfortunate retirements, Vitaly Petrov was the author of more than honorable performances, notably making very good starts.

“When you start the race just outside the top ten, it's difficult to overtake as many cars as I did in Bahrain or Australia, but I still managed to pick up two places, declares the 2009 GP2 Series vice-champion. I really felt comfortable during the first part of the race and really enjoyed the fight with the other competitors, especially Lewis Hamilton. Then we stopped quite early to change the tires, which was certainly a mistake because I really had to fight for grip. But in the end, it didn?t change anything since my race ended due to a gearbox problem. »

In Shanghai this weekend, the pilot of Renault F1 team will find a circuit that he knows well. The Russian hopes that this time luck will smile on him, in order to be able to take the checkered flag this time, and why not become the first driver from his country to score points in the Formula 1 world championship.

“I've raced here before in GP2, so I'm not worried about learning the track. It is a circuit with very varied turns, very technical, which makes it difficult to find the ideal settings. I only have experience of this track in GP2 and I am convinced that it must be even more complicated on board an F1. The priority will therefore be to finish the race with the aim of finally having the experience of an entire GP. I would also like to get closer to the top dis and fight for points. I also need to work hard on my performance in qualifying, in order to be in Q2, and why not in Q3. »

This is all the harm we wish for the native of Vyborg who has not been spared since the start of the season, but the work and goodwill of the Russian driver will inevitably end up paying off.