Vitaly Petrov became the first Russian driver ever to compete in Formula One when he joined Renault in early 2010. He would spend three seasons at the top echelon, securing a career-best result of third at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix.

Although only Daniil Kvyat has succeeded Petrov in F1 since then, there's no denying Russia's increasing involvement in motorsports over the past few years, as highlighted by this weekend's trip to Sochi.

Julien Billiotte

Recent Posts

Wolff shuts down rumors of Mercedes works team’s PU edge

Toto Wolff has firmly rejected suggestions that Mercedes holds a hidden power unit advantage over…

8 mins ago

Vowles outlines potential fixes for F1 energy management plight

The debate over Formula 1’s new energy management reality erupted almost immediately at the season…

1 hour ago

A shout out to F1's original Marlboro Man

Arturo Merzario - Formula 1's very own Stetson-wearing Marlboro Man - was born on this…

3 hours ago

Norris downplays Mercedes win, insists Ferrari ‘have the best car’

Reigning F1 world champion Lando Norris has thrown an intriguing twist into the early narrative…

4 hours ago

Nielsen on why Alpine ‘lost a fiver, found a pound’ in Melbourne

Alpine’s 2026 Formula 1 campaign began in Melbourne with a curious mix of relief and…

5 hours ago

Verstappen’s fire isn’t fading despite F1 criticism – Mekies

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has pushed back against growing speculation that Max Verstappen’s…

6 hours ago