The starter of 107 Grands Prix from 1994 to 2003, a period of time during which he only got to score 2 podiums, driving for middle-to-rear field teams, 38-year old Verstappen got a closer look at Petrov's driving in 2010 and the results were not at all encouraging for the Russian racer. Considering the package he was provided with by Renault, the mistakes he did throughout the season lack a logical explanation.
“The Russian Vitaly Petrov I feel was the worst newcomer and the worst driver (overall),” wrote Verstappen, in a column in the De Telegraaf newspaper.
“But apart from this race I mostly see Petrov as good at making mistakes. Whether against a wall, spinning off or messing up his start, he ruined quite a few races and you can't let that happen when you're driving for a strong team like Renault.”
“The different in quality and in points with his teammate Robert Kubica was enormous, but it's maybe not a fair comparison because Kubica – along with Vettel and Alonso – is the very best,” he added.
The Russian driver is now negotiating a contract extension with Lotus Renault F1 for at least one more season. Talking about his performances in 2010, Genii Capital's boss Gerard Lopez (part owner of the team) admitted that Vitaly has the speed to succeed in F1, but lacks the consistency.
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