Mercedes’ Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters driver Vitaly Petrov says he is looking forward to his first home race in the series, which takes place this weekend on the Moscow Raceway.
Petrov raced in Formula 1 between 2010 and 2012, during which time there was no Russian Grand Prix on the calendar. The Russian spent his years between 2006 and 2010 racing in Europe and with the Moscow Raceway not being opened until 2012 this weekend’s race will mark the first major race on the circuit for the 29-year-old.
“Obviously, I’m looking forward to my home race in Moscow, especially as I’ve rarely had the opportunity to compete in the country of my birth,” admitted Petrov, who has yet to finish higher than 17th in 2014. “I’m expecting many of my fans and friends to be there at the Moscow Raceway, so it should be a really good weekend.
“Last year, I completed a few laps in the capacity of a DTM ‘race taxi driver’. This year, we’re racing on a longer version of the circuit – that should make it even more fun.
“Motorsport is becoming more and more popular in Russia; last year, the DTM made its debut in Moscow, and this year, Sochi will be hosting Formula 1 for the first time. I hope that I can play my part in the DTM to raise awareness of our sport in my country.”
Mercedes-Benz Head of Motorsport Toto Wolff says that the Russian market is extremely important for the brand, which has already taken two wins in the 2014 season.
“The DTM debut at the Moscow Raceway last year was a huge success,” said Wolff of the venue approximately 100 km to the west of Moscow. “This track presents a major challenge to drivers and engineers alike, and fans are assured of exciting racing. Consequently, we are really looking forward to contesting our second ever race in Russia.
“With last year’s event having been such a big hit and with the recruitment of Vitaly for the 2014 campaign, interest in motor racing has increased dramatically in his home country.
“Russia is a very important market, both for the DTM and for the Mercedes-Benz brand. In fact, it’s among the Top Ten for sales of Mercedes-Benz cars.”
Wolff admits that the win last time out at the Norisring has provided a further boost to the marque. However with the win having been taken on a street circuit favouring the C-Coupé, Wolff warns against expecting a repeat performance at the purpose-built racing circuit.
“The successful weekend at the Norisring was a real tonic for our team,” added Wolff. “Robert’s race win was a just reward for the tireless effort that everyone in the team has put in since the start of the season. Even so, the task that awaits us in Moscow will not be an easy one. We know that we still have to raise our performance on this type of track, and we will continue to work hard on making improvements.”