The 25-year-old has scored in only one of his 10 grands prix so far, seventh place in China in April. His meager tally of six points stands in stark contrast to Polish teammate Robert Kubica’s haul of 83.While the first Russian Formula One driver is an obvious commercial plus to a team that counts carmaker Lada among its backers, Renault need both drivers to score points consistently if they are to break into the top four.
Team boss Eric Boullier said last week that Petrov’s future was in his own hands but he must start appearing regularly in the top 10.
“He’s clearly today lacking some consistency to get the points he deserves and we definitely need to have both cars scoring points, so that’s obviously creating some rumors about him and his race seat,” the Frenchman said in a team podcast.
Petrov, who came into Formula One after ending last season’s GP2 support series as runner-up, told Reuters in an interview at the German Grand Prix that he just needed time.
“The team understands that I have speed in the qualifying and in the race, just sometimes we do a lot of small mistakes,” said the Vyborg-born racer.
“Half of the season we have finished the race very near the top 10... I think that we need to just put everything in one pocket and do this on one weekend. This is the target and it is coming.”
Fastest lap
“I have half of the year [remaining]. This half will be more difficult because I do not know the circuits. I don’t know Suzuka, a lot of them,” he added. “So I try to do the best but what is important is improving all the time, showing them I am working.”
Despite the paucity of points, Petrov has claimed one fastest lap and is the highest ranked driver of those in their first season -- not including Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi who took part in the last two races of 2009.
The Russian, betraying barely a flicker of emotion, said Renault was helping him and he believed he could reward their patience.
“They don’t tell me you will be out, blah blah,” he said. “They help me, we sit down at the table and they first of all ask me what I don’t like about the team, what is wrong.
“I said, ‘This and this’.” And then they told me what I must improve and where. They showed me. We discuss with the engineers and go to the next weekend. “I don’t think I need to worry about the future. I think I am still learning. To be at the top in GP2, I spent two years to be really top and fight for the podium and first place.”
Unlike Kubica and McLaren’s championship leader Lewis Hamilton, Petrov was a late starter who came into Formula One without a background in karting.
He also secured the Renault drive only at the end of January, barely six weeks before the season started, leaving him on the back foot in terms of his physical preparation.
“I know I am 100 percent here in this team to the end of the year, they support me and help me and don’t tell me some wrong things. So I am not worried,” he said. “Next year, of course, it will be completely different. First of all, I will know the circuits, secondly... I know what I need to improve. Preparation, everything. My physical preparation will be different.”
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