Renault team principal Eric Boullier has said he took a risk in retaining Vitaly Petrov for this season, and that he "would have had no excuses" if the decision didn't pay off.
Petrov was disappointing in 2010, scoring only 27 points to team-mate Robert Kubica's 136, but an impressive drive in the last race in Abu Dhabi helped him hold on to his seat. He then put in his best performance to date to secure his first podium finish in the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, but Boullier said there had been a lot of discussions about his future over the winter.
"He had a couple of good races last year, but there were also mistakes as well," Boullier said. "So I put a lot of pressure on him. I spent a lot of time talking with him, to understand what was wrong and why he was making all his mistakes. We spent a lot of time discussing with him and putting in place an environment to help him understand the English culture, let's say, and the culture of Formula One.
"We also had to help him improve his communication around his car, to find a way for him to deliver the message about improving his speed, but also for him to understand what the team were expecting. We had a commitment from him that he would make the move to get closer to what we were expecting, including the most physical in moving to England."
And Boullier admitted that despite all of the discussions, he was still taking a gamble by retaining Petrov with a two-year contract, and would have had to take the blame if he did not begin to deliver.
"It was not an easy decision (to keep him) because I would have had no excuses if he had failed for a second year. He has reacted in a good way, and it looks like we have achieved something with him."
Despite the encouraging start to the season, Boullier warned that Petrov was still young, and far from assuming the mantle of team leader in the absence of the injured Robert Kubica.
"You can't give the title of team leader to a young guy who has only had one year in Formula One, and who started without having done a single mile," Boullier said. "But if he takes this position then I'm happy, and if he keeps repeating the performances we saw on Sunday, to be honest I'll be more than happy."
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Feeds: ESPNF1 Staff - Feedback
No comments:
Post a Comment