The cloud of doubt on the other driver to race for Renault F1 alongside Robert Kubica has been cleared.

Vitaly Petrov, the 25-year old Russian will be racing for the Renault F1 Team this season alongside Robert Kubica. The trivia fact is next… This 25-year-old will become the first Russian to compete in Formula One when he makes his Grand Prix debut in Bahrain in March.

He joins the Renault F1 Team off the back of a successful GP2 career having finished as the Series runner-up last season. Renault F1 Team Principal, Eric Boullier, said: “This is a very special day for Vitaly and we welcome him into the team. As a rookie, we recognise that Vitaly will have a lot to learn this season, but his performances in GP2 last year were outstanding and confirmed that he is ready to make the step up to Formula One. With Robert alongside him, Vitaly has the perfect role model to learn from and I’m confident he will deliver on the promise he has shown throughout his career.”

Vitaly Petrov said that it is a great opportunity for him and he was really looking forward to working with the team this season. He said “I’ve always dreamed of racing in Formula One and so to make my debut with a top team like Renault is very exciting. The first race is just over a month away so I will make sure I spend as much time as possible with the team over the next few weeks so that I am fully prepared in time for Bahrain.”

The Renault F1 Team took the covers off its 2010 challenger, the R30, today in front of assembled media at the Valencia circuit in Spain. Renault F1 Team driver Robert Kubica was on hand to unveil the car and reveal the exciting new black and yellow livery – the iconic colours made famous by Renault in the 1980s.

After unveiling the R30, Team Principal, Eric Boullier, joined Robert and Vitaly for a photo call in front of the car, along with the team’s Third Driver, Ho-Pin Tung, and Reserve Driver, Jérôme d’Ambrosio. Czech driver Jan Charouz will also be a Reserve Driver for the team this year but was unable to attend the presentation.

With stable aero regulations the R30 is a mixture of evolution and revolution, and is much more svelte and attractive than its predecessor. In particular the rear of the F1 car has been considerably reworked to allow the car to make the most of the ‘double-decker’ diffusers that were first seen last year.

Changes have also been made to the architecture of the chassis to adapt to the refuelling ban, which has required the installation of a much larger fuel tank. Renault F1 says that the R30 should be a competitive, strong and reliable car, and they have opted for an aggressive development strategy throughout the season.

Both Robert and Vitaly were thrilled to see their new car and spoke of their hopes for the season ahead: “The team has been working on the new car for a long time and it’s clear that we are moving in the right direction,” said Robert. “Now we need to maximise the winter tests to keep up this momentum and continue improving the car. Our priority is to make the car easy to drive because the new rules favour cars that are not too sensitive – we need a car that behaves consistently in a wide range of conditions.” Vitaly Petrov added: “The new car looks stunning and the colours remind everybody of Renault’s great history in the sport. I can’t wait to drive the car for the first time and start working with the team.”

The Renault F1 Team will remain in Valencia until Wednesday evening to complete the first pre-season test session.