Q&A with Vitaly Petrov - My challenge is to beat Heikki

You’ve had 11 races to get used to the team. Are you finding your level now? Are you now totally comfortable with the team?

VP: Yes, I think from almost the first race we found a good relationship between myself and the engineers, well, with all the team to be honest, so it was very easy to start work. I just brought a bit of knowledge from my previous team, and things and ideas that I wanted to do. So everyone has worked really hard to improve in those areas and I think everything is working really well.

I think I was lucky that I was at a strong team before, so maybe this is why, for me, it was a little bit easier to come to Caterham and I very quickly knew what to do.

Coming from a season in which you had scored a podium and had quite a few points under your belt, did you feel that you almost had nothing to prove to anyone in coming to Caterham and that it was just about finding a decent working relationship with the team?

VP: Sure. Of course I know what to do. For me this is nothing new. My previous team had a bigger number of people, more engineers for example, and they also had a different technical view. Here at Caterham there is still a way to go in things like this, but it’s my job to help to them wherever I can.

Is that a fun part of the process?

VP: Yes, a lot of fun! If I had been a rookie coming here it might have been a problem trying to adapt, but now I can say it’s fun. I want to grow with this team, and what is good is that this team is not in Formula One just to be in the sport. They want to achieve something, to beat teams at the front. It feels like everyone is very enthusiastic and I’m enjoying being part of this.

It’s a big challenge and you’re racing further down the grid than you’re used to. So where do you find the motivation?

VP: Very simple: my challenge is to beat Heikki. He’s a very experienced guy, he’s quick and I admire his driving style. He’s a very smooth driver. My target is to beat him as, right now, regular points are a little bit away from where we are. But the team is working well at the moment. I think we have improved quite a lot and we’re waiting for some new parts and then maybe we can start thinking about something then, but we’ll wait a little while.

Can you target teams like Toro Rosso?

VP: Not today for me personally. We know that teams like Toro Rosso are still quick and there’s no point in setting that as a goal at the moment for me. I just need to make sure that I am consistent, that I beat Heikki if I can, and that I am as quick as I can be in the races. That’s it. It’s not easy to do – it’s very difficult to beat a guy like Heikki! You have an equal car, a quick rival and one small mistake here or there means that quali is gone or your race is not good. It’s never easy.

So, if you were to analyse your performance, where do think you have improved since last year and where are you still lacking?

VP: That’s difficult to say as I think every day you learn something new. It doesn’t matter if you have a fast car or a not so fast car. When you have a fast car, perhaps you can make a little mistake and it doesn’t affect you so much, or you can hit the kerbs a little harder and it won’t cost you anything. In this car you need to be sure of what you’re doing, you need to be very precise. Otherwise, if you hit the kerbs too hard you can spin. Every day you’re learning something new.

So, where can the car be improved most quickly for you?

VP: Downforce. Of course you always want more as that’s what makes F1 cars corner so quickly. I also think there are areas that could be better for me personally, like the steering wheel layout, but we’re making changes where we need to and it’s improving every time I’m in the car.

We’re also constantly improving how much we get out of KERS. This is they first year the team has had KERS and we’re still fine tuning how to get the most out of it in quali and the races, but that’s another area where we keep improving.

Do you have much in common with Heikki, given that geographically you’re from similar places?

VP: With Heikki, it’s one of the best driver relationships you could have. He’s a really good guy. If he loses out in qualifying or in the race, he doesn’t close himself off. He’s still talking about things, working with everybody and analysing everything. It is always a pleasure to talk with Heikki.

For me, it’s different. I also try to make sure that I analyse where the problems are but sometime I shut down because I’m angry with myself. But, if you have good guys like Heikki in the team, you can’t just shut down, because if he asks you something it’s impossible not to respond because he will always do the same for you.

Is it important for you to have that camaraderie with your team-mate and within the team? You’ve spoken before about how your relationship with your previous team broke down, so it is a big thing for you now to have good friendships within your team-mates?

VP: I think so, it is a team after all! All of the guys are working for you but you have to work hard for them and the whole team as well. We’re all together supporting each other. It’s very important for everything to be in the open. It’s not about having secrets or anything but it just has to be honest. Teamwork is very important.

Let’s finish by going back to racing. At the end of the season where would you like to be with this team?

VP: To take one point.

You said you didn’t want to think about that.

VP: I don’t! I’m not thinking about it, but if you ask me, then that’s what I hope for. It depends how all the upgrades work for us. If we keep pushing and we move in the right direction then maybe we can do it, just maybe. All the cars are so close together. It’s not like it was last year where you had the Red Bull far ahead and then four or five tenths to the next lot and then another second after them to the back of the midfield. It was much more difficult to make a big step up the grid last year, so if we do everything right then maybe we can do something special.

Where do you think that step might come?

VP: I don’t know. We have some new guys working with us and they’re helping speed up the process of upgrades with the guys we already have.