A profile of Renault Formula 1 driver Vitaly Petrov

Petrov has been signed by Renault until the end of 2011

Vitaly Petrov 2011 Season Stats

Last updated: Thursday, 15 November 2012 12:31 UK

Race	Date	Start	Finish	Race Pts	Total Pts
Australian GP	27 Mar 2011	6	3	15	15
Malaysian GP	10 Apr 2011	8	17	0	15
Chinese GP	17 Apr 2011	10	9	2	17
Turkish GP	8 May 2011	7	8	4	21
Spanish GP	22 May 2011	6	11	0	21
Monaco GP	29 May 2011	11	19	0	21
Canadian Grand Prix	12 Jun 2011	10	5	10	31
European GP	26 Jun 2011	11	15	0	31
British GP	10 Jul 2011	14	12	0	31
German GP	24 Jul 2011	9	10	1	32
Hungarian GP	31 Jul 2011	12	12	0	32
Belgian GP	28 Aug 2011	10	9	2	34
Italian GP	11 Sep 2011	7	22	0	34
Singapore GP	25 Sep 2011	18	17	0	34
Japanese GP	9 Oct 2011	10	9	2	36
Korean Grand Prix	16 Oct 2011	8	23	0	36
Indian Grand Prix	30 Oct 2011	16	11	0	36
Abu Dhabi GP	13 Nov 2011	12	13	0	36
Brazilian GP	27 Nov 2011	15	10	1	37

BBC COMMENTATOR MARTIN BRUNDLE'S VIEW

"Vitaly Petrov came of age as a Formula 1 driver at the last race of 2010 in Abu Dhabi, where he famously held off Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and did not buckle under pressure.

"In 2011, he has been team leader after Robert Kubica's rally crash. To an extent he seized the chance to show that he is worthy of an F1 seat beyond his nationality and sponsorship support.

"It is hard to get to F1 and it's even harder to stay there.

"Renault have faded through the season but so has Petrov and he remains only a few points ahead of the discarded Heidfeld. The young Russian needs his best form to return urgently."

PETROV TAKES OUR DRIVERS' TEST

Name three attributes an F1 driver must have

Calmness, work efficiency - and speed, of course

What is the hardest thing about being an F1 driver?

You have to work within the same direction with the whole team, improve car speed and performance and describe your feelings to engineers. Plus a lot of media attention is hard too.

Formula 1 is not just about the car because…

... it will never ever move without a driver

If I was in charge of Formula 1 I would…

PETROV STATS & FACTS Team: Renault Team-mate Bruno Senna Nationality: Russian Born: 8/9/1984, Vyborg Grand Prix debut: Bahrain, 2010

... try my best to improve entertainment, increase overtaking and improve safety. And control costs as well - small teams face hard times now.

If I could drive in any era of Formula 1 it would be…

The current one - we have five world champions on the 2011 entry list! This season looks really cool.

Who is your best friends among the drivers?

At the moment I don't have a lot. Some guys that I've known from GP2 - Kamui Kobayashi and Nico Hulkenberg. Robert Kubica, of course. And Luca Filippi - we grew up together from junior Formulae.

Which F1 driver tells the worst jokes?

No one yet.

Describe yourself in a few words.

I'm ready to work hard, self-confident and calm

Do you excel at any other sports?

I was rather strong in judo, taekwondo and football some time before.

What car(s) other than an F1 car do you drive?

The team provides me with Renault road cars, mostly Meganes.

What is your favourite song and what does it remind you of?

I really like when my father and brother sing. It reminds me of simple and very important things - family, friendship and home.

What's the last book that you read?

Three Comrades by Erich Maria Remarque.