Lotus Renault GP expecting more sponsors after Vitaly Petrov podium in Australian Grand Prix
Lotus Renault GP owner Gerrard Lopez has said that he is confident after Vitaly Petrov’s success in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix as it will open up more sponsorship opportunities for the team from Russia.
Petrov took the first podium position of his Formula 1 career last Sunday at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne and stunned the crowd with his amazing performance.
He proved that Renault has what it takes to challenge the top-running teams of the sport and that he has the ability to take a good car to its limits if he is provided with one.
Lopez believes that this was the first of many to come and is hoping that this success will open up a valuable revenue stream for Lotus Renault GP.
“Quite a few Russian companies are strong partners of Lotus Renault GP this year. They seem to enjoy what our platform offers and the visibility they get. I'm sure that Vitaly's showing in Melbourne will attract even more partners, especially as his performance
did not look like a one off. I'm definitely optimistic,” he told the media.
He stated that the interest level of Formula 1 in Russia increased vitally when Vitaly Petrov became a part of the sport and since he is looking pretty strong in this year, the sport will surely become even more famous in the country.
“When Vitaly arrived in Formula One, we had to face two important tasks. The first one was to make him an accomplished driver in the space of a few months. With no testing allowed and the pressure you have to face when racing at the highest level, his progress
has been impressive,” said Lopez.
He added that not many people knew what Vitaly was capable of when he arrived and according to Eric Boullier, Lotus Renault GP boss, the team made the right decision by retaining the young Russian whom they were reluctant to retain after the 2010 season
ended.
The team gave Vitaly Petrov a two-year contract after a lot of discussion and it seems that the team’s decision has started to pay off.
Lopez added that Petrov has proved his critics wrong by his performance in the first grand prix of the season.
However, the 2011 season is only one race old and it will be too early to predict anything that lies in the store for both Lotus Renault GP and Vitaly Petrov. Let’s see how it unfolds.
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