If you’ve been following the “will Renault re-sign Vitaly Petrov” saga, you will know that the Russian driver has set up a press conference on Wednesday to reflect on the 2010 season and announce his future plans.
He’s doing so in Russia at the Press Center of Television and Radio Russia.
Strike you as strange?
Keep in mind that the last words we have, more or less, from Renault is that the team very much wants to keep Vitaly (and his money) on, but he’s got to show a greater commitment to the team and F1. And that seems to translate into Petrov moving to England to be more fully a part of the team and its operations.
(Speaking of operation, did you see where Renault mentioned the team couldn’t meet with Petrov because he was having “an operation.” I haven’t seen anything about what that operation might have been. Is that part of this, at all?)
If a driver is supposed to be showing more commitment to his team, does having a press conference back home in Russia seem to you a bit counter to that?
And Renault is keeping all mum. The team really has nothing to say about it all?
As best as I can figure, some sort of scenario along the following lines is happening:
1. Petrov is just going to do the expected and announce he’s re-signed but is using the Russian event to say a “farewell” as he has to move to England. And he has Renault’s blessing.
2. Renault isn’t re-signing him, but is doing him the courtesy of letting him make that announcement at home. But that seems extremely strange, right?
3. Petrov is about to do something unexpected, and Renault doesn’t know what it is but feels it needs his money so badly that the team is trying to play things safe. No one there is commenting out of fear of loosing the goose that laid the Russian golden egg. (Wait, maybe goose that laid the Faberge egg?)
4. My favorite: Petrov, with Vladimir Putin’s backing, has purchased HRT and will be running a Russian team in 2011.
Any Petrov expectations out there? Anyone care enough about him and Renault to have expectations?
Anyone upset I haven’t called the team Lotus Renault in this post?
