Consistent speed can ensure Vitaly Petrov seat in Renault
Although no deal has been signed so far, yet the Renault team management insists that Vitaly Petrov is certainly going to retain his seat with the team for the 2011 season, if he is “consistently fast.” At the same time, the driver has also pledged that
he will show more commitment and consistency right from the beginning of the upcoming season.
After having spent an entire month in much confusion and distress the driver finally sees a ray of hope for the next season. While talking to the media earlier today the owner of the team, Gerard Lopez said that there is "no question” that the driver will
stay attached with the squad for a longer period.
The team has undergone a lot of changes in the recent days and many more are expected in the days to come. Only a couple of days back, the team signed the final deal of collaboration with the Group Lotus, for the upcoming season. With this contract, Group
Lotus has become the new title sponsor for the team, hence the Renault F1 Team will be seen on the next year’s grid as Lotus Renault GP. Moreover, the French squad has also changed its car’s livery into black and gold, the colour of the legendary Ayrton Senna’s
car.
With this partnership the chances of the 26-year-old in the team have risen once again. The parent company of Group Lotus, ‘Proton’ is keen to increase its penetration and influence in the Russian market. Being a Russian driver, and also because the Russian
Grand Prix is expected to be introduced in the Formula One calendar in the upcoming years, the team’s interest in the driver is natural.
While talking to the media earlier today, the Lotus CEO Dany Bahar said, "It (the Russian link) opens up a lot of possibilities for us but mainly for our shareholders."
Moreover, the Lopez further stated, "We believe he has got the speed, he just doesn't have the consistency… Part of the discussion is that he needs to accept a certain change in life, he needs to accept to move to the UK and be close to the factory. He needs
to accept to be in an English-speaking environment all the time and if he accepts those things, and if we believe that through those things he can deliver consistency, then there's no question about who is going to be our second driver.”
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