Lotus-Renault team owner Gerard Lopez believes Vitaly Petrov’s podium finish at last weekends Australian Grand Prix will attract more sponsorship not only to the team, but to Vitaly himself.
The Russian is the first to take to the podium, a great achievement following a trying rookie year which often saw him making silly errors.
His performance in Melbourne however saw him keep pace and hold-off Fernando Alonso for the second time, the last being Abu Dhabi which had a helping hand in deciding the championship outcome.
This success, which Lopez is confident will be reflected in many races to come, will bring extra support to the team, particularly from Russia which has enjoyed a doubling of their TV audiences.
“When Vitaly arrived in Formula One, we had to face two important tasks,” said Lopez. “The first one was to make him an accomplished driver in the space of a few months.
“With no testing allowed and the pressure you have to face when racing at the highest level, his progress has been impressive. Secondly, we had to “educate” Russia to F1.
“There’s been a lot of explaining to do, a sport culture to explain. I’m happy to say that both these processes were successful. Very few people knew what the sport was all about when Vitaly arrived onto the grid. Last season, TV figures in Russia have already doubled within 8 months. This is more than encouraging,” he added.
When asked if this would lead to more sponsors looking at Renault, he responded: “As you know, quite a few Russian companies are strong partners of Lotus Renault GP this year. They seem to enjoy what our platform offers and the visibility they get.
“I’m sure that Vitaly’s showing in Melbourne will attract even more partners, especially as his performance did not look like a one off. I’m definitely optimistic.”
