Petrov relishing Monza's famous corners
At what will be his last known circuit of the season, Vitaly Petrov is aiming for another top ten finish in his R30. And with the Belgian GP from last month proving to be a challenge with a drive from 23rd to an astonish 9th, a good qualifying session in Italy can only offer a more promising finish.
Vitaly, you did well to score points at Spa, but do you feel you could have got even more from the weekend? "Yes, it was good to score some points, but we could have done better. Because of my mistake in qualifying, I only started from 23rd on the grid, but we made a good recovery and it was a good race. However, we know that we are capable of finishing much higher. It’s good to finish in the points, but we know that sixth place could have been possible."
You had some good battles in the race – especially with Rosberg. Did you enjoy that? "It’s always a good feeling to be battling with the strong guys in the field, with Mercedes and Rosberg, who is an experienced F1 driver. Our car was very quick on the straights, so I waited for Sutil to pit in order to have a good slipstream and I was then able to pass Rosberg before Les Combes. It was a little bit risky because it was on the outside and it was really at the limit, but overtaking him was a good feeling."
The car took a step forward in Spa – how did it feel to drive? "The car was good to drive and it was quick on the straights thanks to the f-duct. We were able to use more downforce so it definitely was a big improvement."
How did you find racing with the f-duct? Was it easy to adapt to? "We used it all through Friday practice to first check it and then to practise using it. After that it was all good. I was able to use the f-duct without any difficultly, even through Eau Rouge where it was a little challenging to drive with only one hand."
How will you approach the final six races of the season? "Apart from Monza, I will need to learn all the other circuits where we will race in the last part of the season because I have never been to these places. I will study videos and maps, and look at data for those circuits."
Have you got any special memories of Monza from GP2? Do you enjoy the challenge it presents? "I was on pole position for GP2 in Monza last year. I was leading for the majority of the race, but finished second because I had to slow down when there was an accident in front of me and I lost the lead. Despite this, it remains a good memory for me, although now in Formula 1 I will need to learn it again and adapt my driving style. Monza is a great track with some famous corners like Parabolica and the Lesmos. What is important is not to make any mistakes, because even if you lose a few tenths, it could cost five places or even more. It will be interesting to race there and I look forward to it."
What is your target for this weekend? "My target again is to be in the top 10."
Interview courtesy of the Renault F1 team.
