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Boullier says Petrov incident is closed

ESPNF1 Staff
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Vitaly Petrov said that his comments came in the heat of the moment after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he finished 13th © Sutton Images
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Eric Boullier says that Vitaly Petrov's outburst is a closed matter after Petrov apologised to the Renault team.

Petrov complained to Russian television about a lack of progress made by Renault throughout the season, and blamed poor strategy and pit stops for costing him positions. However, Petrov apologised to the whole team via letter, saying that adrenaline was running high after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday. Boullier said that it was understandable such things could be said in the heat of the moment, and that it showed Petrov's competitive edge.

"Well, the interview was made minutes after Vitaly jumped out of the car last Sunday," Boullier told the official Renault website. "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."

Boullier also said that the apology meant that the incident was over.

"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."

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