Vitaly Petrov profile

Vitaly Petrov F1 driver profile Full name: Vitaly Petrov Nationality: Russia     Latest News of Vitaly Petrov Petrov raises Mugello safety concerns Thu, 03 May 2012 Petrov feeling valued at Caterham Thu, 23 Feb 2012 Petrov prepared to adapt Wed, 22 Feb 2012 Wednesday debut for Petrov Mon, 20 Feb 2012 Petrov encouraged by Caterham ambition Fri, 17 Feb 2012 Petrov encouraged by Caterham ambition Fri, 17 Feb 2012 Petrov replaces Trulli at Caterham Fri, 17 Feb 2012 Petrov future delayed by sponsors Mon, 06 Feb 2012 Petrov coy on future rumours Fri, 27 Jan 2012 Petrov in frame for Pirelli role Wed, 25 Jan 2012 Petrov hopes to remain at Renault Sun, 04 Dec 2011 Petrov given deadline over future Tue, 29 Nov 2011 Petrov enjoys time on pit wall Fri, 25 Nov 2011 Boullier says Petrov incident is closed Fri, 18 Nov 2011 Petrov apologises for outburst Fri, 18 Nov 2011 Petrov attacks Renault over lack of progress Fri, 18 Nov 2011 Petrov hit with five place India grid penalty Sun, 16 Oct 2011 Schumacher accepts Petrov crash Sun, 16 Oct 2011 Renault struggles in wet Petrov Fri, 14 Oct 2011 Petrov finds strategy a challenge Sun, 09 Oct 2011

Russia's first Formula One driver Vitaly Petrov has come to the sport with massive financial backing. However, it shouldn't be forgotten that by finishing runner-up in the GP2 Series in 2009, he has completed the same rite of passage as Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen and Bruno Senna. After skipping karting he cut his teeth in Russia's Lada Cup and winning the championship in 2002, taking victory at every race. He then spent two years racing Formula Renault in Europe, he spread his time between a number of different national championships, and failed to make a mark in any one of them. A return to Russia followed where he won the Formula 1600 Russia title in 2005, taking five victories and kick-starting his career again. A four year assault on GP2 followed, starting with a handful of races in 2006 before a full season in 2007 when he took his first race win. Driving for Campos, he took another victory in 2008 on his way to a seventh place finish overall behind Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean. 2009 proved to be his breakthrough year as he regularly scored points, taking seven podiums, two race victories and finishing second overall in the championship. In the final standings he was a massive 25 points off Williams driver Nico Hulkenberg but ahead of Virgin Racing's Lucas di Grassi. With Russia plastered across his car as sponsorship in GP2, he claims his funding is a mix of his father's money and backing from family friends. However, Renault team principal Eric Boullier has said that he was in talks with drivers with more money than Petrov, but wanted to employ someone with the right level of skill and experience. All Petrov has to do now is prove his boss right, which could be easier said than done with F1 race-winner Robert Kubica as his team-mate.