Sunday: Petrov offers Caterham 10th place in the constructors’ championship
Thanks to Vitaly Petrov's 11th place in Brazil, the Caterham F1 team regains the 10th place in the constructors' championship, a relief for the Malaysian team. Heikki Kovalainen had a more complicated race but was pleased with the team's result.
Vitaly Petrov – 11th:
« What an incredible race. I am so thrilled for the whole team and I want to thank each of the members for doing a fantastic job in these conditions today. Watching what reclaiming that 10th place meant for everyone when I got back to the garage was really special, and I think we deserve it after all the work done throughout the year.
On the track, it was one of the toughest races I’ve ever participated in, but also one of the best. I got a good start, overtook many cars and avoided all the problems at turn 4, and then I was able to push as much as possible as the conditions changed. We made the right decisions for the pit stops today, and every time I came in, the guys were perfect. The switch to intermediates on lap 54 made the difference today, I think. I had a nice battle with Pic in the final laps, but I eventually overtook him at turn 3 and was able to pull away. From there, it was mostly a matter of staying on the track, and when I heard the safety car was coming in, I knew there was only one lap left, and it was a very pleasing feeling. Now, we can celebrate, and everyone deserved it – the entire track team, at the factory in Leafield, our various partners, and our technical partners Renault Sport F1 and Red Bull Technology.
Heikki Kovalainen – 14th:
I’m happy for the team today and thrilled that we were able to secure this 10th place in the championship after a very intense race. It was one of those afternoons where anything can happen, and I think it’s thanks to the great job done by the entire team that we were able to finish in these positions today.
My race was quite interesting. I had a good start, avoided problems on the first lap, but when we brought both cars in for the second stop, there was an issue with my rear right wheel which cost me a lot of time. From then on, I had to try to catch up with those ahead. We fitted wet tires for my last stop to take a chance if the rain intensified, but there was really little grip until the last few laps with that set of tires. Despite everything, it was mainly about the final result, and it went well when it mattered.
