The 29-year old ex-Formula 1 driver Vitaly Petrov will become the first ever Russian driver in the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft), as it was recently announced at a press conference held right in the headquarters of the Russia 2 television channel.
Vitaly will make his DTM racing debut behind the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG C-Coupe DTM at the season opener in Hockenheim, on May 4th.
The news comes as no surprise to us, especially since we speculated that the DTM test he concluded back in January was most definitely a sign that Mercedes-AMG might consider adding a Russian driver to their 2014 lineup, now that the Moscow Raceway is part of the German Touring Car Championship.
Vitaly Petrov: “The DTM is a great racing series and I’m very happy that Mercedes-Benz are giving me the chance to compete against the world’s best touring car drivers in the DTM. I’m aware that I’ve got a steep learning curve ahead of me, but I love a challenge and accept it gladly. At my first test in Portimão, I was able to make my first acquaintance with the team and get a feel for the car, which is very important for me in order to play to my strengths.
Motor racing is becoming ever more popular in Russia – last year, the DTM debuted at the Moscow Raceway and Sochi will host Formula 1 for the first time this year. I am certain that we will see many more Russian racing drivers in various series in the future and I hope that I can do my part in the DTM to make our sport more popular in my home country.”
Petrov managed to accumulate 64 Formula 1 championship points between 2010 and 2012, driving for Renault, Lotus Renault FP and Caterham. His greatest F1 achievement was third place on the podium at the 2011 Melbourne Grand Prix.
The news comes as no surprise to us, especially since we speculated that the DTM test he concluded back in January was most definitely a sign that Mercedes-AMG might consider adding a Russian driver to their 2014 lineup, now that the Moscow Raceway is part of the German Touring Car Championship.
Vitaly Petrov: “The DTM is a great racing series and I’m very happy that Mercedes-Benz are giving me the chance to compete against the world’s best touring car drivers in the DTM. I’m aware that I’ve got a steep learning curve ahead of me, but I love a challenge and accept it gladly. At my first test in Portimão, I was able to make my first acquaintance with the team and get a feel for the car, which is very important for me in order to play to my strengths.
Motor racing is becoming ever more popular in Russia – last year, the DTM debuted at the Moscow Raceway and Sochi will host Formula 1 for the first time this year. I am certain that we will see many more Russian racing drivers in various series in the future and I hope that I can do my part in the DTM to make our sport more popular in my home country.”
Petrov managed to accumulate 64 Formula 1 championship points between 2010 and 2012, driving for Renault, Lotus Renault FP and Caterham. His greatest F1 achievement was third place on the podium at the 2011 Melbourne Grand Prix.