Russian Formula One driver Vitaly Petrov’s manager Oksana Kosachenko said she is in talks with three teams apart from his current Caterham team, which must improve to satisfy Petrov's ambition, in comments to R-Sport on Friday.
Petrov signed for Caterham a month before the 2012 season started after he lost his seat at Lotus after the end of the 2011 season, and Kosachenko said she was keen to avoid any more last-minute talks.
“Before autumn we have to be ready to take some decisions. I don’t want to be in the situation which we faced last year,” she said.
“I would like something in my hands, something we can put on the table when we don’t have any proper offer from Caterham F1.”
Kosachenko said that she expected Petrov to be able to finish in the points regularly next season, and suggested that an improvement would be needed from Caterham, whose best finish this season is Petrov’s 13th place in Valencia last month, in order to keep the Russian.
“Facing the [first Russian] Grand Prix in 2014, which is one and a half years, it’s important we have a driver who can work as a promoter of the Grand Prix, we can use as a very nice marketing tool to promote the Grand Prix,” she said.
“For this, we need a driver who is shown on TV, who’s collecting points, who’s delivering positive emotions. That’s why we believe that Vitaly has to run in a team which can collect points.”
Caterham remain the front-runner to secure Petrov for next season, but Kosachenko expects better results, she said.
“The main priority is to keep staying in the team we’re in at the moment. They’re developing and we’re expecting big progress in the second half of the season, so we’ll see what we will have.”
Petrov has repeatedly been linked with the Russian-owned Marussia team but he is unlikely join them, Kosachenko said.
“He is quite an experienced driver, so I think he deserves to get points. I am not sure this is feasible with Marussia, even next year.”
Petrov's contract with Caterham has an option for a second year.
Petrov debuted in F1 with Renault in 2010, and achieved the only podium finish of his career with third at the Australian Grand Prix last year for the team, by then renamed Lotus Renault.
Petrov left Lotus Renault in December and joined Caterham shortly before this season began, displacing veteran Italian Jarno Trulli.
