VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN

Working Day

7 november, 2010 15:11

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at the wheel of a Formula One race car

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at the wheel of a Formula One race car
Vladimir Putin personally tested a Formula One car from the Renault team, driving for several hours at speeds up to 240 kilometres per hour.

Before getting into the driver's seat, Vladimir Putin received detailed instructions. Technicians and team members explained the basic handling techniques and the specifics of driving.

Mr Putin wore a helmet with the emblem of the Russian Federation and the word "Russia", as well as a professional Formula One racer jumpsuit embroidered with his initials. The yellow colour of the race was reminiscent of the canary-like Lada Kalina in which Mr Purtin covered more than 2,000 miles on the Chita-Khabarovsk highway in the summer.

As he was climbing into the car, Mr Putin answered a technician's question whether the driver's seat was comfortable, "Even my old Zaporozhets has more room."

Mr Putin drove for several hours on a specially-equipped track in the Leningrad Region.

After the finishing the test-drive, experts working at the computer which reads all the arrival rates showed Mr Putin his maximum speed during the drive: 240 kilometres per hour.

"Not bad for a first time," said Mr Putin.

A month ago in Sochi, Mr Putin attended the signing ceremony of an agreement according to which one of the legs of the Formula One Grand Prix will be held in Sochi for the first time its history. Earlier, Mr Putin has repeatedly said that holding such events would certainly be an impetus for the development of the Russian automobile industry and would attract new automotive technologies to the automobile industry.

On Sunday, the Interlagos track in Sao Paulo (Brazil) will host a leg of the Formula One race, in which Russian Renault team captain Vitaly Petrov will participate.