Petrov plays down sponsorship claims 04/02/2010 |
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New Renault Formula 1 driver Vitaly Petrov has rubbished claims his rise to F1 has been bankrolled by sponsors.
Petrov is a ‘pay driver’, meaning he will not receive a salary, leading to speculation that he had brought with him as much as 15m Euros in backing from Russian companies to secure the vacant Renault seat alongside Robert Kubica.
But Petrov said: “My father has given me the money to be here. It's just him, my manager and my father's friends – no one else. The people in Russia must wake up to what has happened here, because we are in F1 without any sponsorship or any help. Now people will see us in Formula 1 and hopefully it will change things.
“This is what I've been trying to do. I've been telling people, 'We are Russia, a big country, and we must have a grand prix'. Now I am here, maybe people will try to do something.”
Renault team principal Eric Boullier revealed that Petrov would fund some seven per cent of the squad’s budget, but insisted that Renault could have got more money had it chosen another driver.
“We actually had [talks with] drivers who could have brought twice the amount Vitaly is bringing with him,” he added. “We just put it simply: either we go for an experienced driver who, on paper, may help to bring back some points for the championship – which is very crucial – or we go for a young driver.
“The choice of Vitaly was clearly because he has the speed and we believe he can do well. Definitely there is a risk because he is a young driver, but we also had to think in this process about the team's future.”
However, Boullier did admit that the decision could have commercial benefits for Renault – and F1 as a whole.
“Strategically, he is Russian, which can open up a lot of new perspectives for Formula 1 – not just for Renault – for the future,” added Boullier.
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