Vitaly Petrov arrives in DTM with Mercedes

Vitaly Petrov had shown interest in the DTM for a long time. Without a steering wheel since 2012 after a final season in F1 disputed with Caterham, the Russian piloted the “race taxi” of Mercedes last year when the German discipline moved to Moscow from August 2 to 4. Suspicions about the arrival of the former F1 driver were reinforced when the latter participated in a test session with Mercedes in Portimão last January.

“DTM is a great discipline and I am very happy that Mercedes is offering me the chance to compete against the greatest touring car drivers in DTM”, comments Vitaly Petrov who will notably find his former opponent Paul di Resta. “I am aware that this is a new direction for me, but I love taking on challenges. I was able to get to know the team and get my bearings in the car during my first test session in Portimão, which is very important in order to develop my skills. Motorsport is becoming more and more popular in Russia: the DTM took its first steps there last year at Moscow Raceway and Sochi will host F1 for the first time this year. I'm sure we'll soon see more Russian drivers in all kinds of disciplines and I hope I can contribute to that by doing my job in DTM. »

Mercedes Motorsport is also pleased to have been able to recruit Vitaly Petrov, the interests being both sporting and economic. “Vitaly had a good test session on the Mercedes C AMG DTM Coupé in Portimão and I am sure he will be an important member of our team”, adds Toto wolff, the sporting director of the Stuttgart manufacturer. “Vitaly is a great sportsman and a great representative of his country who has already demonstrated that he is capable of achieving a podium in F1 (at the 2011 Australian GP with Renault F1 Team). He will also be a valuable asset for Mercedes in the Russian market. I can't wait to see how he develops in DTM. »