Renault sign Petrov as first Russian to race in F1

Moscow: Vitaly Petrov will become the first Russian to race in Formula One after former champions Renault named him on Sunday as their second driver for the 2010 season.

The 25-year-old from Vyborg, near the Finnish border, was the runner-up in the GP2 support series to Germany`s Nico Hulkenberg, now with Williams, last year. Petrov will partner Poland`s highly-rated Robert Kubica at the team. Media reports have suggested the Russian could bring around $15 million of backing to Renault, the former champions who faced a big hole in their budget after losing title sponsor ING at the end of last season. French carmaker Renault last month sold a significant stake in the team to Genii Capital, run by Luxembourg-based businessman Gerard Lopez. The last Russian driver involved in Formula One was Roman Rusinov, who was named as one of four testers for the Midland team in 2006 but never raced. The first to test a Formula One car was Sergei Zlobin with Minardi in 2002.Petrov`s appointment will be a boost for the sport in a country that is one of Europe`s biggest car markets and hopes to host a grand prix in the near future. Renault has a stake in Russia`s biggest carmaker AvtoVAZ, makers of the Lada brand. Bureau Report