In a shock announcement, the Caterham team have kicked Jarno Trulli in favour of Russian ex-Renault driver Vitaly Petrov.
Petrov visited the team’s base on Friday for a seat fitting, as he will take part in the second pre-season test, starting this coming Tuesday in Barcelona.
Team principal Tony Fernandes said:
“We are all delighted to welcome Vitaly into our team and are very excited about the role he will play in helping us take the next steps forward in 2012 and for many years to come. When we first met it was immediately clear that Vitaly understands and shares our vision for how we want our team to grow. As the first Russian to race in F1 he carries the hopes of a huge nation with ease and his talents, experience with one of our current competitors and insights on and off track will play a huge role in our development as we fight to join the established teams ahead.”
