Renault confirm Vitaly Petrov as their second driver

[Ed]

Vitaly Petrov to become the first Russian Formula 1 race driver

The official announcement from Renault read:

The Renault F1 Team is delighted to announce that Vitaly Petrov will race for the team this season alongside Robert Kubica.
The 25-year-old will become the first Russian to compete in Formula One when he makes his Grand Prix debut in Bahrain in March. He joins the Renault F1 Team off the back of a successful GP2 career having finished as the Series runner-up last season.

Renault F1 Team Principal, Eric Boullier, said: “This is a very special day for Vitaly and we welcome him into the team. As a rookie, we recognise that Vitaly will have a lot to learn this season, but his performances in GP2 last year were outstanding and confirmed that he is ready to make the step up to Formula One. With Robert alongside him, Vitaly has the perfect role model to learn from and I’m confident he will deliver on the promise he has shown throughout his career.”

Vitaly Petrov added: “This is a great opportunity for me and I’m really looking forward to working with the team this season. I’ve always dreamed of racing in Formula One and so to make my debut with a top team like Renault is very exciting. The first race is just over a month away so I will make sure I spend as much time as possible with the team over the next few weeks so that I am fully prepared in time for Bahrain.”