Petrov targeting Kubica and top ten in Hockenheim

F1 Grand Prix, GP Germany, Hockenheimring

With a promising race result compromised by a puncture, Vitaly Petrov looks back at what could have been the British GP nearly two weeks ago, and also looks forwared to the German GP this upcoming weeekend. In Hockenheim, Petrov will once again use teammate Robert Kubica as his performance target and targets the top 10.

Vitaly, let’s look back to Silverstone - another promising race ruined by a puncture… "I enjoyed the race but, of course, I was disappointed with the outcome. I was almost in the points when I had some bad luck with the puncture, so we could have got a much better result. But what is done is done, and it was still good to finish all 52 laps of the race. This gives us lots of information about the car and the track, which was especially important with Robert’s race ending early."

You now have ten races behind you, what is your frame of mind as we enter the second half of the season? "I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and using the experience that I have gained so far. I know that I still need to improve, but I’m doing my best to work more closely with the team and Robert to improve the car. I feel that I have a really good relationship with the team and we know each other pretty well by now. We spend a lot of time together, we go to dinner together and I spend a lot of time at the factory. Being very close with them will help me get the most from every weekend."

As a rookie, each race is a big learning experience. Where do you feel you can still improve? "I think that the information and feedback I give the team is something that is very important. When we have a new upgrade, we need to have a good understanding of how it works and how it improves the car, and it’s down to me to give the team the right information. Being accurate with my feedback is also important for improving the set-up and getting the most from the car so this is where I am working hard."

Looking ahead to this weekend’s race in Germany, what are your views on the Hockenheim circuit? "I know the circuit because I’ve raced there before in GP2. It’s quite a difficult track and there is usually close racing so you need to be quite tactical with your driving. There are some corners where you can overtake, like the hairpin at the end of the long back straight. Overall I think it should be a good circuit for our car."

What are your objectives for the weekend? "As always the first target is to be close to Robert’s pace. Then I need to qualify in the top ten and finish the race. I think that qualifying is my number one priority for the weekend because we know how it important it is for the outcome of the race."