Lotus Renault Boss Tells Petrov to Change F1 Approach

Vitaly Petrov was indeed tipped with the best possibility of retaining his seat with Lotus Renault F1 Team for the 2011 season, but in order to make it in the series he has to really commit himself to the F1 demands. And this doesn't only mean he has to improve his racing in the future year, but also move to the UK and better integrate himself into the whole concept of F1.

“Part of the discussion is that he needs to accept a certain change in life, he needs to accept to move to the UK and be close to the factory,” said Genii Capital's owner Gerard Lopez, who controls half of the Enstone based team following the recent partnership between Genii and Group Lotus.

“He needs to accept to be in an English-speaking environment all the time and if he accepts those things, and if we believe that through those things he can deliver consistency, then there's no question about who is going to be our second driver,” he added.

Additionally, Lopez underlined the fact that Petrov needs to become consistent in Formula One, as he clearly has all the right attributes to advance as a driver.

“We believe he has got the speed, he just doesn't have the consistency,” explained Lopez.

While the Genii owner publicly admitted his intention to keep Petrov – the only question being if he wants the Russian driver to sign for a single season, or a 2-year extension – Group Lotus yesterday hinted that keeping the 26-year old would make a lot of sense from a corporate standpoint, as the move would “open up a lot of possibilities for us but mainly for our shareholders” in Russia.

A decision on Lotus Renault F1's complete lineup – Robert Kubica has already been confirmed – will likely be made by Christmas.