Petrov: I acted a bit stupidly

Following his outburst against his Renault team, it's fair to say Vitaly Petrov's actions have caused something of a media firestorm.

The Russian has admitted he 'acted a bit stupidly' along with blaming tiredness and frustration caused by a disappointing Abu Dhabi GP.

Petrov now claims though that the situation within himself and his team has been cleared up, but his actions cannot have done him any favours in a team somewhat notorious for swapping drivers at the drop of a hat.

"Let's just say that I acted a bit stupidly. I was very disappointed, very tired, I had to answer a lot of questions and somehow I didn't handle it correctly. But I had a chat with the team later on and everything is now OK," Petrov said.

His thoughts now shift to this weekend's F1 2011 Brazilian GP at Sao Paulo, a track which the young Russian has described as 'very special'. However, like his team-mate, Bruno Senna, Petrov has predicted it could be a difficult weekend.

"It is not easy to set up the car for Interlagos. When you think you are on the limit you try to push a little further, especially at turns six and seven which are very, very special," he continued.

"The challenge here is to set up the car well and to have the car fully prepared for Saturday and Sunday. Sometimes it rains, like it did last year when the visibility and aquaplaning were incredible, but the track is still safe enough to drive well on."

Looking to 2012 meanwhile, F1's first and currently only Russian, remains positive, although he knows he still needs to improve on a number of fronts.

"I am here to achieve and to reach my targets. Generally, I feel good. Throughout my first two years, I have always felt I've been improving but maybe less so than at the very beginning. I am still learning how to work with the team and how to get the car to work for me. I am still not yet at 100 percent, but it is difficult to ever be. First things first, I must give Brazil my best shot. Then, I will look at next year," Petrov summed-up.

by Simon Evans