Petrov apologizes to Lotus Renault for criticism, Boullier says apologies are accepted

Lotus Renault boss Eric Boullier said the incident caused by the team’s driver Vitaly Petrov is ‘closed’ after the Russian apologized for having been critical of his team at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Petrov wrote a letter to Renault staff on Friday to apologize for his comments, saying they have been «inappropriate» and «unnecessary».

«The interview was made minutes after Vitaly jumped out of the car last Sunday,» Boullier said on Lotus Renault GP official site. «The race was tough, he was upset not to have scored points, he was exhausted. Drivers are not robots, they’re human beings. Also, like every driver, Vitaly is a competitor. Had he been on the podium in Abu Dhabi, he would have complained about not winning the race.

«We take this incident as exactly this – an incident. Vitaly has apologised to the team and sent an email to all the staff at Enstone. As far as we are concerned, the matter is closed.»