Trulli shrugs off Petrov speculation

Jarno Trulli says he knows nothing of the speculation linking Vitaly Petrov with his seat at the Caterham team, and insists he has a contract with the squad.

Rumours about Petrov joining the team have intensified over recent days, the Russian still seeking a race seat after Renault - now Lotus - signed Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean for 2012.

There are suggestions that Petrov is in advanced talks with the team about a seat for the upcoming season.

Trulli, however, says his plans remain unchanged despite the speculation.

"I have a contract with Caterham and that's it. I know nothing of the rumours," Trulli told Gazzetta dello Sport. "The team hasn't said anything to me.

"On Monday I will be in the factory the get the seat made and everything remains the same for me until I'm told otherwise."

The veteran Italian insists he is not thinking about his future outside of Formula 1.

"I'm not talking about the future: each time words are put into my mouth that I will go in NASCAR or I will race in the 24 Hours. But my present tense is F1, I'm only talking about that."

Trulli, who endured a difficult 2011 season as he struggled with the team's power steering system, says he is confident of a stronger 2012.

"I expect things to be better than in 2011. The base is better, there's more experience, resources, people. We start on the hunt for that championship point we wanted last year and with the objective to fight regularly in the mid field..

"People don't realise how hard starting from zero is. I've raced with Minardi, but it's a lot harder here. You can't make mistakes: every error has long-lasting effects."

He added: "I'm confident. During the course of the year I saw many improvements. The step taken was big, even though it wasn't noticed. Now we need another one."