Vitaly Petrov
Vitaly Petrov (Russian Виталий Александрович Петров, English transcription Vitaly Petrov, born September 8, 1984 in Vyborg ) is a Russian auto racing driver. He was active from 2006 to 2009 in the GP2 Series and in 2009 was runner-up this championship. From 2010 to 2012, he competed in Formula 1. 2014 he starts in the DTM.
- 3.1 Career stations
- 3.2 Statistics in the GP2 Series
- 3.3 Statistics in Formula 1 3.3.1 Individual Results
Career
Beginnings in motorsport
Petrov started his motorsport career in 2001 in the Russian Lada Cup, he could win the following year. 2002 he also drove one race apiece in the Russian VW Polo Cup and Formula RUS. In 2003, he joined both the Formula Renault at the 2000 Masters and the Italian Formula Renault. He also denied individual race in the British Formula Renault and Euro formula 3000th At the British Formula Renault Winter Series, he finished fourth. In 2004 he was again in a few races in the Italian Formula Renault, Formula Renault 2.0 Euro Cup and the Euro Formula 3000 at the start. The following year, Petrov went back to Russia and was able to both the Russian Formula 1600 and the Lada Revolution series win.
GP2 Series
In 2006, Petrov back in the Euro Formula 3000, which is now Euro Series 3000 was called. By car 's achievements Euro Nova Racing, he won four races and finished with 72 points, third in the drivers' standings. As of end of July 2006 he also drove for the David Price Racing team, in which he replaced in the GP2 SerieOlivier Pla. But he could not score points, finishing in 28th place overall. He also took part in two races of the F3000 International Masters. In 2007, he went completely up in the GP2 Series and launched as team-mate Giorgio Pantano for the Spanish team Campos Grand Prix. Petrov was his teammate, who finished third in the drivers' standings, was inferior to most of the races and finished the season 13th overall. His season highlight was a victory in Valencia, where he was able to celebrate a double victory for Campos Pantano. He also took part in each race of the Le Mans Series and the International Formula Master. In addition, he stepped up to the 24- hour race at Le Mans in 2007 in the LMP2 class, but could not finish the race.
In the first season of the GP2 Asia Series Petrov went again for Campos at the start. He won in Sepang and achieved third place in the drivers' standings. In the regular GP2 Series 2008 Petrov remained with Campos. To the beginning of the season he dominated his teammate Ben Hanley. For the fourth race weekend Hanley, who had not lived up to expectations, was replaced by the former GP2 runner-up Lucas di Grassi. Di Grassi quickly showed good performance and was usually faster than Petrov. The first race on the new Valencia Street Circuit Petrov could decide for themselves. He inherited the victory of Giorgio Pantano, who turned out lying in the lead in the final round because of fuel shortages. It was his second victory in GP2. Both victories he won in Valencia, but on different tracks. Petrov was three times on the podium. In the overall standings, he reached the seventh place with 39 points.
In the 2008/2009 GP2 Asia Series season Petrov went again for Campos Grand Prix at the start. After the beginning of the season did not go so well, entered the race weekend at Losail a turning point: After a third place in the feature race Petrov was in the sprint race in second place. As his team-mate Sergio Pérez won the race, Campos Grand Prix scored a double victory. The next race weekend in Sepang Petrov won the sprint race. In the overall standings Petrov finished the season in fifth place.
2009 Petrov denied his fourth season in the GP2 Series for Barwa Addax and launched, the successor team of Campos Grand Prix. At the beginning of the season Petrov was provided by his team-mate Romain Grosjean in the shade, but took over after a win in Istanbul in the meantime the lead of the championship before Grosjean. After Grosjean had left the team in the direction of Formula 1, the Russian became the new number one team. Petrov, of his new team-mate Davide Valsecchi clearly had the touch and the celebrated another win in Valencia, although retained the chance of winning the title, but had to defeat a race weekend before the end Nico Hulkenberg give and secured on the last weekend the runner-up title.
Formula 1
2010 Petrov was as team-mate Robert Kubica in the Renault team his debut in Formula 1 He was the first Russian driver in Formula 1 history. Together they form the first Eastern European Formula 1 driver duo Petrov at Renault was the successor to his former GP2 team-mate Grosjean. According to press reports, he had to pay for his cockpit before the season 15 million euros. One half was taken by his father, Alexander, who received a loan, the other half was initially made . After Vladimir Putin had pledged the support of the Russian government on 1 March, Renault signed on 4 March a contract with the Russian car manufacturer Lada, which came into existence as a sponsor of the team.
After he had not come in the first three races to the finish, Petrov reached the fourth race in China for the first time the goal and in seventh place his first World Championship points. At the Grand Prix of Turkey, it initially looked more points for the Russians. However, he had to go to a contact with Fernando Alonso, with whom he had a damaged tire to complete another pit stop and fell back. With the new tires it but he managed to achieve his first fastest lap in Formula 1. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, he was in qualifying for the first time faster than Kubica and in the race he managed fifth place his best season placement. Another good performance was shown by Petrov at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. After the safety car came out on the track already in the first round, the Renault driver opted for a different strategy and completed his early pit stop. After Alonso, who had led the championship before the race had even stopped, Petrov was ahead of the Spaniard. As in Turkey, there was a position battle between the two, however, succeeded to the Russians this time his opponent to hold more than 30 rounds to finish behind. The Renault driver came in sixth place finish. He indirectly helped Sebastian Vettel, who thereby take over the world championship lead from Alonso and could win the title. At the end of the season, he finished 13th in the driver standings. Internal team was defeated Kubica with 27 to 136 points clear.
On 22 December 2010, Renault announced the extension of the contract with Petrov for two more years. 2011 Nick Heidfeld was his new teammate, after Kubica had been struggling injured in a rally and longer precipitated. Already at the season opener in Australia, Petrov managed a third place his first podium placement in Formula 1 the second race in Malaysia Petrov was first again in the points. A ride in which he tore off his steering wheel, his race, however, ended prematurely. After two more points standings Petrov had the sixth race, the Grand Prix of Monaco, a serious accident because of which the race was interrupted. He retired to no serious injuries. A race later in Canada, he came in fifth place finish. In the other races, he scored only four points more times and never came over the ninth place out. The Grand Prix of Belgium, he received a new teammate with Bruno Senna. The duel to Heidfeld was relatively balanced at this time and Heidfeld was two points ahead of Petrov. Petrov finished the season finally on the tenth.
Although Petrov for the 2012 season a contract with the Renault team, the F1 team went under the name Lotus from this season to the start, possessed, he was released early December 2011 and replaced by Romain Grosjean. Petrov joined Caterham, where he was introduced in mid-February as a pilot. There he took over from Jarno Trulli, who originally had a contract for the 2012 season with the team. After he was eliminated in the first race, he reached the 16th place in the Grand Prix of Malaysia. At the Grand Prix of Europe Petrov was meanwhile in the points, scoring with a 13th place had hitherto been his best season placement. At the Grand Prix of Great Britain, he was due to technical problems in the round in the starting line-up not starting. At the last race of the season in Brazil, he scored his best season placement with an eleventh place. Thus Petrov became the top ranked pilot, who remained without points. At the end of the season, he finished 19th in the drivers' standings.
DTM
2014 Petrov received a cockpit in a Mercedes team in the DTM.
Personal
Petrov was managed until the spring of 2013 by Oksana Kossatschenko and lives in Valencia. He has the nickname " Vyborg Rocket " in his homeland.
Statistics
Career stations
- 2001: Russian Lada Cup
- 2002: Russian Lada Cup (Master)
- 2002: Formula Russia ( 10th place )
- 2003: Italian Formula Renault ( 19th place )
- 2003: Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup
- 2003: Euro 3000
- 2004: Italian Formula Renault ( 28th place )
- 2004: Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup
- 2004: Euro 3000
- 2005: Russian Formula 1600 ( Master )
- 2005: Russian Lada Revolution Championship ( Champion)
- 2006: Euro Series 3000 ( 3rd place)
- 2006: GP2 Series (No. 29)
- 2006 F3000 International Masters
- 2007: GP2 Series (No. 13)
- 2007: Le Mans Series LMP1 class ( 15th place)
- 2007: International Formula Master
- 2008: GP2 Asia Series ( 3rd place)
- 2008: GP2 Series (No. 7)
- 2009: GP2 Asia Series ( 5th place)
- 2009: GP2 Series (2nd place)
- 2010: Formula 1 ( 13th place)
- 2011: Formula 1 ( 10th place )
- 2012: Formula 1 ( 19th place )
- 2014: DTM