DECEMBER 22, 2010

Petrov keeps Renault seat

Lotus Renault GP has announced that Russian Vitaly Petrov has signed to drive for the team for 2011 and 2012.

"We're delighted to have Vitaly on board for another two years," said Gerard Lopez. "Last season, he showed on several occasions that he clearly has the potential to deliver. It was just a matter of putting everything together during the same weekend, race after race, and this will be his target for 2011. Also, thanks to Vitaly and the team, Russia is opening up to Formula 1. Over the past few months, we've established close links with this country and with some of its strongest companies. We're looking forward to building on this special relationship."

Team principal Eric Boullier added: "Robert Kubica provides a remarkable benchmark for both speed and consistency and we are certain that Vitaly will move closer to this level of performance next year."

Petrov himself said: "In many ways 2010 was about learning, 2011 will be about performing. Today, I feel I'm ready to rise to this challenge. There were a lot of special moments in my rookie season. The race in Shanghai is something that I will always remember, when I overtook Schumacher and Webber to score my first points. Then, the first time I made Q3 in Turkey was an important step for me. And, of course, the race in Hungary was probably my best weekend when everything came together for me."