Russian Formula One driver Vitaly Petrov has driven his first laps for the Caterham team at a Grand Prix weekend, but his two free practice sessions in Australian on Friday were disrupted by rain and technical problems.
Petrov was 20th-fastest in the drier first session, but only ran eight laps, and came 13th in the second session after contending with a slippery track.
Teammate Heikki Kovaleinen beat Petrov in both runs, finishing 17th in the first session and eighth in the second.
“That was a reasonable day for me,” Petrov said on the Caterham website.
“The weather meant we weren't able to try too much with the set-ups and we had a small problem this morning that cut short the final run, but one of the main things for me today is that I feel very comfortable with the team.”
Petrov joined Caterham on February 17, ousting veteran Italian Jarno Trulli, but his late arrival cost him valuable pre-season testing time.
The Russian had got used to the car, Caterham technical director Mike Gascoyne said.
“We got through most of what we had planned and it's good to see that Vitaly was comfortable in the car from the first laps this morning,” he said on the Caterham website.
Petrov was tenth in the 2011 championship with Lotus Renault, but the team dropped him at the end of the season.
He came third in the 2011 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, his only podium finish to date.
