Vitaly Petrov’s manager, Oksana Kossatchenko, has labelled the Russian’s recent and controversial comments to national media as ‘a stupid mistake’ that he is extremely apologetic for. Her words come after the Renault driver criticised his team in an outburst that followed a third straight non-points finish in Abu Dhabi.
Petrov explained to television network Russia 2 that he is ‘not allowed to say anything negative about the team’ because of a clause in his contract, before stating that the car has remained without effective updates throughout the season.
"Firstly, the interview itself was really emotional, as you know Vitaly is a normal sportsman who has ambitions," Kossatchenko told GPUpdate.net.
"Immediately after the race (in Abu Dhabi) I would say it was a hard moment for him to realise what happened, especially as the race was technically very, very tactical for him. He didn’t bring any points home, this was a disaster for him.
"I would say that in this situation it’s better to avoid any contact not only with the media, but stay home and relax. With analysis, this is a dish which you have to eat cold. I think he was picked at the wrong moment, that’s what I’d like to say. Vitaly really apologised about what happened and he sent his apologies to the team afterwards."
Kossatchenko went on to underline that there is no lasting tension between Petrov and team boss Eric Boullier, with the conflict being eased after a clear apology.
"There is no more conflict, I spoke to Eric Boullier just a couple of hours ago and I guess we have found a good solution," she added. "Vitaly is still a rookie in Formula 1 and maybe the media work is something that is a little bit missing, but we will work on that with the team. I would say it’s a stupid mistake of a young driver, that’s it.
"We have the contract with the team signed until 2012, but of course we are discussing some conditions now. For example, it’s not the only condition we're looking at, but Vitaly was the only driver who was not paid by the team.
"We are also discussing some conditions which would make him feel more comfortable at the team. It should work like this, we signed a contract that was offered by the team, but the team is growing and we are growing together with the team. We would just like to discuss the conditions which will suit both sides, that’s it."
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Petrov criticises Renault on Russian television
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