Translated material
Royal race
The fastest Formula 1 track may appear in Moscow
Yesterday, a grandiose Bavaria Moscow City Racing show took place near the walls of the Kremlin, the main highlight of which was the participation of leading Formula 1 pilots. Of course, this is not exactly a sporting event, devoid of the main thing - the spirit of competition, rather demonstration performances, a test of professional suitability more for the organizers than for the athletes. And we must pay tribute to the organizing committee, everything went at a high level worthy of Formula 1, considered the “queen” of motorsport.Such a high-status event, which Bavaria Moscow City Racing undoubtedly is, is more prestigious the higher the status of each participant. This year the rating of the guests gathered in Moscow was nowhere higher. The current world champion, who has a good chance of retaining the title this season, came to our capital for the first time, so the participation of McLaren team driver Jenson Button was expected with particular excitement. Naturally, the Englishman was the main star of these races. Moreover, he performed on the most combat version of the car.
Jenson Button, despite the stubborn struggle in the championship, appeared before the Moscow public in excellent shape and seemed to be glad to take a break from his current worries for a while. Arriving in Moscow on Friday, he managed to explore the city's sights, attend several sponsorship events and was pleased with both the reception he received in Russia and what he was able to see. He skated his several laps along the Kremlin wall to the noisy support of the assembled public.
By the way, there were really a lot of spectators. The stands, despite the fairly high ticket prices, starting from 1,300 rubles, and the suffocating heat, were almost completely filled, which indicates considerable interest in motorsport in our country. According to one of the show organizers, the event was supposed to attract about 50 thousand people. Even football is not so popular in our country, despite all the people’s love. People are willing to spend money and time to see a 15-minute demonstration race.
And what other arguments are needed to prove the need for the Russian stage of Formula 1?
Perhaps things will finally move forward. In any case, on the highway in the Moscow region, which was solemnly laid out almost three years ago, and then turned into long-term construction due to the crisis, work has resumed again. The possible appearance of the Russian Grand Prix on the Formula 1 calendar in 2012 was also discussed at a press conference before the start of the Bavaria Moscow City Racing 2010 show. The head of the advertising committee in the Moscow government, Vladimir Makarov, mentioned this. According to him, there is a project to create a city highway along the streets of Moscow, created by one of the main developers of modern racing tracks, Herman Tilke. Over a distance of 4,420 m, Formula 1 cars will be able to reach an average speed of up to 220 km/h, which will make the race in Moscow the fastest on city tracks.
Another main character in yesterday's show, of course, was Vitaly Petrov. Our Formula 1 driver, unlike his colleague from McLaren, looked somewhat tired. Yes, and there was a reason. The popularity that Vitaly encountered in Moscow perhaps surprised him a little. Wherever he appeared, a crowd of journalists, fans and simply curious passers-by immediately formed around him. Saturday's autograph session on Red Square took several hours and took a lot of energy from Vitaly. But it also showed the strength of popular support: everyone wished Vitaly success in his career and, most importantly, continued performances in the “royal races”.
By the way, the entire management of the Renault team came to Moscow with Petrov. And, of course, the main question that was addressed to the head of the stable, Eric Bouillet, concerned Vitaly’s prospects at Renault. The smiling Frenchman immediately became serious and began to talk about how difficult it was to build a team, counting on only one experienced pilot. But he ended his answer on an optimistic note: “Vitaly’s future is in his hands. The main thing for him now is to start realizing his potential. If he shows that he can produce consistent results, he will receive full support from the team.”
Having visited Moscow, Vitaly fully felt the enormous support he receives in his homeland, and this should help him gain a foothold in Formula 1.